Parting Gift
by eyereadeyewrite
Summary: Canon divergent at Bella's birthday party. When Carlisle cares for Bella's wound, the desire builds between them and things happen. Things that have far-reaching effects for both and change them forever. Vamp/human, non-canon. Rated for language and mature content.
1. Chapter 1

Hi all! I'm only going to put a disclaimer here in the first chapter, so here it is: I don't own Twilight. I'm just playing with the characters.

As far as the story goes, I hope you all like it!

* * *

-Parting Gift-

* * *

"Mmmph," she muffled a whine and cringed while looking away from her injured arm. With an apologetic smile, Carlisle gently tugged the last suture through the edges of her skin before quickly and expertly knotting it.

"Sorry," he quietly soothed as he snipped the stitch close to the knot. His gaze darted to her face and back to the surface of his desk as he retrieved a roll of gauze to bandage his handiwork. "Almost done," he murmured and she smiled.

"It didn't really hurt, just felt weird — the gross tugging thing, you know?" Her smile turned wry. "I should really be used to it by now."

His lips tilted into a smirk as he arched a perfect, blond brow and teased, "One would think so, a veteran like you."

He watched as her smile fell into a frown. "You know, stuff like this wouldn't happen if he'd just change me."

He paused, regarding her closely, reluctant to have this conversation. "If you believed as Edward does, could you risk his soul?"

Her head tilted, the look in her eyes calculating. "Do you agree with him?"

He sighed, setting the bloody gauze alight, watching it burn in the faceted crystal dish while formulating an answer. "I do to some extent, though I'm undecided enough on the issue to have hope. That's why I choose to live as I do."

She shook her head as he tucked her arm beneath his holding it steady against his ribs as he wound the bandage around it. As his hands went through the motions, he found his mind preoccupied with trying to ignore how close she was and just how impossibly alluring her scent was. Not her blood, but her _scent_. It was almost maddening how badly he wanted to pull her close to his body and taste her soft lips…

"You can't possibly be damned, Carlisle. There's just no way."

A wry smile played over his lips as his warm, golden gaze darted to hers. _'Oh, If you only knew what I long to do to you, sweet girl…'_

"You've always been very gracious toward us, Bella."

"It's the truth. I've never met anyone more worthy of Heaven than you."

He responded with a soft chuckle while setting the surgical tape aside to gently inspect her arm. "There, all done." He kept his voice quiet for some reason, though he knew they were alone in the house. Everyone else had gone for a hunt, were miles away and wouldn't be back for quite some time. The smell of Bella's blood (that still permeated the house) had been too much for all of them and it would take time for them to cope with what had almost happened. It had been a close thing, and not just with Jasper.

_'She's so very tempting, so alluring, so soft,'_ he couldn't help but think as his fingertips skimmed her delicate, creamy skin. _'Softer than the finest silk.'_

Her breath caught and heart rate sped as his fingers slowly circled the sensitive skin of her wrist. And as his thumb rubbed delicate circles over her pulse point, he looked enraptured, beautiful, and she whispered his name while leaning toward him. He was so close—so close, and he smelled so good.

Edward had never smelled that good and besides—

"He's going to leave me," she whispered, not as a question, but as fact. "He's always been going to leave me." She'd seen the look in his eyes in Arizona and again tonight as he'd left the house. It'd been like staring into the end of it all.

_'So, what is there to lose, Bella?'_

Carlisle froze, his gaze locking with hers as she slowly closed the distance between them. He stopped breathing only after realizing he'd been taking in her scent as deeply and eagerly as she had his.

Heaven above, was he losing his mind—his control—completely?

Apparently so, for he couldn't force himself to move away. "Bella?" he breathed, hardly believing what his senses were telling him. "What are you doing?"

Her hands were hot as they slid over the thin fabric of his crisp, blue dress shirt and the firm chest beneath, one finally coming to rest on his shoulder as the other toyed with the silky hair at his nape. "I—I want you to kiss me, Carlisle."

He nearly groaned as her tongue peeked out, wetting that plump, all too tempting bottom lip. Then his gaze darted back up to her heavy lidded brown eyes. Her pupils were blown wide with lust as she whispered one word which, when combined with the heady, musky scent of her arousal, would prove to be his undoing. "Please…"

He surrendered the power of conscious thought and took her in a passionate kiss even as he eagerly swept everything aside to ease her back on the desk.

_'Mine, mine, mine,'_ the voice in his head, the baser part of him, insisted as he became ever more intoxicated on her scent, her taste, the feel of her as she tugged him closer while biting and sucking at his lips— _'Mine, need more, take, mark, claim…'_

From there it was a simple thing to reach under her skirt, tear the scraps of lace she wore as panties, free himself and sink into her virgin depth with a long, low, growling groan.

She was slick and tight, and fit him perfectly, her body molding to his as if she'd been crafted by God just for him. He'd never, in all his considerable years, felt anyone like her and knew he probably never would again. She was perfect for him.

Desperately, she clung to him, her arms and legs wrapping his body to hold herself against the powerful thrusts of his hips. With cries of half pleasure, half pain, she arched wildly against him, her eyes rolling back as he sank his fangs into her neck, marking her even as he filled her with his scent and seed.

"Carlisle!" she cried as her very soul—everything she was or ever would be—shattered in that moment of rapture only to be remade—molecule by molecule—into his perfect match as she descended from her high, held there in his arms, against his firm chest.

She—until now, only a potential mate—had been claimed and there was no going back. She was now his and would be from that day forward.

Whether either of them knew it or not.

* * *

-P.G.-

* * *

She blinked and cursed, realizing she'd missed the turnoff into her neighborhood. Pulling over, she signaled and whipped a U-turn, shaking off the mental fog induced by thoughts of her time in Carlisle's office the night of her birthday.

It had been three days, and she'd yet to see Edward. He'd been conspicuously absent from school and hadn't made any of his usual nightly visits either. Nor had he even so much as called or texted. It was beyond bizarre behavior for him and she could only guess—with mounting dread—that he'd found out about what she'd done with his Sire.

As she neared Charlie's house (she still had a tough time calling it her own for some reason) she exhaled in relief at the sight of a familiar car parked at the curb and the vampire leaning against it.

After parking in the driveway, she climbed out and slung her bag over her shoulder as Edward approached. "Hi," she greeted, frowning at his closed-off expression.

"Bella," he returned, taking her bag to toss it back in the cab before closing the truck door. "Come," he said with a nod toward the woods, "take a walk with me."

She blinked, all her senses alert as she frowned at him. Still, she agreed despite the feeling of dread in her gut. "Yeah, okay."

Wordlessly, he led her into the woods, just beyond sight of the house where he stopped and faced her. "We're leaving. People are beginning to question Carlisle's age and we can't risk the suspicions getting out of hand."

Her frown deepened, but she nodded. "Okay, it's kinda sudden, but Charlie'll just have to accept it. I mean, I'm eighteen now, so there's nothing he can do to stop me…" she trailed off as he held up a hand.

"You won't be going with us."

All the breath seemed to leave her and she felt as though she'd been punched in the gut. "What? What do you mean? I thought — I thought…"

"I know what you thought, but it just cannot be. You'll stay here and live a normal life—the life you would've lived if you'd never met me."

The blood drained from her face. "But we _did_ meet, Edward, and I — I thought you loved me. You promised." She looked into his eyes and blanched at the lack of warmth she saw there.

_'Maybe he does know…'_

"I said I'd stay as long as it was best for you. That no longer applies. Your life is at risk with us, Bella, and I'm not willing to risk it any longer."

A knot of anxious desperation welled inside her.

"And the others? What about them? What do they think?"

"They agree with me and have already left."

Pain lanced through her chest and she clutched at it with one hand as tears finally sprang to her eyes.

"Don't do this. Change me, Edward, please! Take me with you!"

His eyes took on an icy gleam. "You know where I stand on this issue, Bella. I will not damn your soul."

"It's my soul! It should be my decision!"

"Well, it isn't," he snapped before reaching out to touch her face, his tone softening. "You're human. You'll heal from this, Bella, I promise you." She scoffed but he ignored it. "Soon, it'll be as if we never existed, like a distant dream. You'll see. Until then, please do me a favor?"

She nodded woodenly, her whole body feeling numb, empty. "Yeah, anything."

"Take care of yourself. Don't do anything stupid—for Charlie's sake, if no one else's."

She swallowed thickly, still not really grasping what was happening. "Yeah, okay."

Leaning over, he kissed her brow, his icy lips lingering for just a moment. Then he vanished so quickly it was as though he'd never been there at all.

Blinking to clear hot tears from her eyes, she gazed around the clearing he'd left her in as one whispered word—a name—escaped her lips.

"Carlisle…"

* * *

-P.G.-

* * *

Wind and rain lashed the branches of the tree outside her window, though Bella remained unaware as she stared, legs folded beneath her in the chair she'd been sitting in since rising from her bed that morning.

It'd been a week since he'd left and she'd been this way ever since. She'd somehow managed the wherewithal to stumble back to the house that day and tell Charlie what had happened. But after that, she'd sought the solitude of her room and hadn't emerged since, except to use the bathroom. Thank God Charlie had brought her sustenance. Speaking of which—

"Bella?" Charlie poked his head in after knocking lightly. "I have a tray for you," he said, pushing the door open to set the said tray on her desk. It was laden with a covered plate of sandwiches, a bowl of vegetable soup, and bottles of water. "Come on kid, time to eat and drink, or I'm hauling you to the hospital, that's a promise."

That got her attention and she reached for a sandwich, eating it mechanically as he gathered the empty water bottles and trash in a bag before pausing to watch her. "Bella, I know it hurts, believe me, I know, but you can't keep on this way. It's not healthy, kid." He paused, hoping she'd say something, _anything_, but she didn't, choosing instead to stare and chew as if he wasn't in the room.

His hands and jaw clenched, his usual cool reserve slipping the longer he observed the wreck she'd become. Straightening his spine, he reached over and grasped her chin, turning her face to him. "Listen to me now. When you're done eating, you're gonna get up, gather clean clothes and take a shower, do you hear me? This isn't a request, am I clear?"

She nodded and his eyes narrowed. "Use your words, Bella."

Anger bubbled up and she jerked her chin from his grasp. "Yes, you're clear."

He smirked and grabbed the bag of trash, heading for the door. Yeah, he'd pissed her off, but at least it was something—something other than the hollow shell she'd been for the past seven days. He considered it a win. "I'll be checking on you later. You'd better be done, or I'll drag you in there myself."

She huffed and shot him a glare. "That won't be necessary."

He smirked. "Good," he said, leaving the room. Poking his head back in, he added, "And don't forget to brush your teeth."

The door closed and she growled while taking a vicious bite of sandwich. She knew he meant well, and she also knew he was right, but damn it, she just wanted to wallow for a good long while. Why couldn't he respect that?

Tears filled her eyes as she kept eating, not even tasting the food as she went through the motions. This _hurt_. It was the worst pain she'd ever felt and the worst part was, there wasn't a damn thing anyone could do to fix it. No pain pills, stitches, shots or band-aids—nothing. Nothing but time, according to the unsolicited wisdom of her dad, Billy Black and oddly enough, Sue Clearwater. But the way she felt, she didn't think there was enough time in the world to cure this hurt.

At the moment? With hot, steady tears dripping from her chin, she seriously doubted it.

* * *

-P.G.-

* * *

"Bella," Charlie greeted as he grabbed a beer from the fridge and popped it open as he leaned against the counter to watch her.

"Hey," she said, her tone lackluster as she went through the motions of making dinner—macaroni and cheese and hotdogs, her go-to when she couldn't care enough to make real food. Charlie never complained, so she figured, why not?

"You got homework tonight?"

"Nope," she said while setting everything on the table before taking a seat. Charlie slid into his seat and started plating his food.

"Why not? I recall that being a pretty regular thing."

She shrugged. "It was, but I'm ahead in credits so I signed up to test out early. All I need to do now is study and I do that in the library during the day when everyone else is in class."

His brows shot up. "So when will you be done?"

She nudged some mac and cheese with her fork and glanced at him. "The end of this week."

He shot her a calculating glance between bites, then swallowed and asked, "Okay, and then what?"

"Then I'm done with High School with a few extra credits toward college," she said with a shrug. "I'll get my diploma by mail within a few days, or so they said."

He washed down a bite of his hotdog with a swig of beer, then asked, "College?"

_'Good ol' Charlie, man of few words, always straight to the point…'_

"I… don't think so," she admitted, while pointedly ignoring Charlie's strangled cough and reddening face. "At least, not right now, anyway," she threw in to head off the argument she could tell he was gearing up for. "I think I'll do a road trip first, just me and the old rust bucket—and a healthy portion of my savings."

He ran a hand over his face with a frustrated groan before sitting back to give her his best penetrating cop stare. "I don't suppose I can talk you outta this genius plan you've come up with?"

She held his stare. "I need this, Charlie. I'm doing this."

He heaved a breath and rubbed the back of his neck. Then he picked up his fork and scooped up a bite from his plate before pausing to say the only thing he felt he could at the moment. There was no use in arguing, after all. She was too much like Renee in that way and would walk out the door no matter what he said against it. At least this way she wouldn't hate him when she left. "The tires are only a year old, but you better have Jake do a once over on everything else before you leave. You don't wanna get stuck on the side of the road somewhere."

She nodded, looking curiously relieved. "Already set it up with him. He said he'd be by late tonight to get it so I left the keys in it."

He raised a brow. "Why so late?"

"I didn't ask. He's doing me a favor so I didn't think an interrogation was appropriate."

"Huh," he said, pinning her with the suspicious dad look. "How you getting to school?"

She shrugged. "I'll walk. It's not that far."

"And if it rains?" He shook his head. "I'll take you."

She held his gaze for a moment, debating whether to argue or not. Then he raised a brow and she sighed. "All right fine, you win. You can drive me."

"Good," he grumbled, and that was the end of the conversation. Minutes later, he placed his plate in the sink and parked in front of the TV then fell asleep halfway through Monday night football.

After scraping her food into the trash, she cleaned the kitchen and headed upstairs for a shower. After locking the door to the bathroom, she pulled out the little plastic stick she'd hidden at the bottom of her toiletries bag. It was one of several she'd used in the last few days, and all had shown the same result no matter how she wanted to deny it. Holding this one (the very first one she'd used) she stared at the little plus sign in the window as reality crashed down on her yet again.

She still couldn't quite believe it, but there it was, in her hand—undeniable proof that she was pregnant with Carlisle Cullen's child.

Blowing out a trembling breath, she looked into the mirror to study her wan image as her thoughts raced.

After the initial shock had worn off and the reality of her situation had settled on her like a cold, heavy shroud, she decided she had to find him. Trouble was, her frantic internet search for any sign of the Cullens turned up absolutely nothing. After that, it hadn't taken her long to devise a plan; one born of sheer desperation.

She was going to find the Denali coven and get them to help her. The only other option she had vampire-wise was the Volturi, and risk-taker though she may be, she knew they weren't really an option. Not if any of the stuff Edward said about them was even remotely true.

Now, standing in Charlie's tiny bathroom with incontrovertible proof, that vampires can indeed father children, gripped between her thumb and index finger, she ruled out going anywhere near the Volturi. They were not an option at all. Unless she had a death wish, which she decidedly did not, thanks anyway.

So, the Denalis it would be.

From all that she'd gleaned from Edward, she had a basic idea where to begin looking for them. She snorted at that thought. _'Like their coven name alone wasn't clue enough for ya, Swan?'_ God, even her inner voice was a sarcastic asshole these days.

She looked down at the barely visible swell of her belly, hidden earlier by a baggy shirt and sweats. Running her hand over it, her lips curled into a tiny smile as she felt a light flutter from within. Tears stung her eyes and she blinked them back with raw determination. Tears were worthless, and gained her nothing, so why shed them? "It's you and me, little one, and I won't fail you, I promise."

With a final heave of breath, she set her jaw, wiped any trace of tears from her eyes, and climbed into the shower. She needed rest and a clear head to pass her tests and get the hell out of Forks without anyone catching on to her true motives. She just had to keep it together a while longer—long enough to make it to the Denali coven. Only then, when she'd secured the promise of their help, would she allow herself to relax.

And maybe then, she'd break down and indulge in a good cry just for the hell of it.

**Thanks for reading! Feedback is appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

**My thanks to Evy, Amy, Goldielover, Catgrl, and Kouga's older woman for the reviews! I'm glad you all like my story!**

* * *

-Parting Gift-

* * *

"I guess this is it, then," Charlie said after closing the tailgate of her truck and dusting his hands together.

She'd finally gotten the rust bucket back the day before and was beyond ready to leave. Jake had had it for over a week and after fixing or replacing a few parts, he'd given it a cautiously clean bill of health. Actually, he'd said something like 'I've fixed it, but be gentle because the thing's older than dirt' but Bella wasn't about to tell Charlie that.

"Yep," she said with a nod as she stood at the open driver's door. "I wanna get on the road so I can make it to the first hotel before it gets too late."

Charlie's eyes narrowed. "You got an itinerary?"

She resisted groaning in frustration, but only just. "Yes, we talked about this. I'll stick to it as much as possible."

He gave her a grudging nod before pulling her into a one-armed hug while resting his chin on the crown of her head. "Take care of yourself."

She leaned into the hug sideways to hide her belly, her voice muffled by the heavy flannel shirt he wore. "I will, you too."

He smirked as he let her go and stepped back. "You know me, the consummate bachelor, I'll be fine."

She climbed into the truck, closed the door and leaned out the open window. "That may be, Dad, but do me a favor and eat a salad or some steamed vegetables now and then, okay? It won't kill you."

He chuckled and backed up to the steps as she started the truck and backed out. Then, with a wave, she pulled away, glancing into the rearview mirror once while wiping a traitorous tear. "Love you, Charlie," she murmured past the lump in her throat, knowing she'd probably never see him again.

With as weak as she was getting and the way this baby was growing, she was guessing she probably wouldn't survive the birth. If she was lucky enough to find the vampires, she might survive the ordeal as a vampire herself. But even if that happened, she knew she'd never be able to have any contact with her parents again. Doing so would be their death sentence.

Fresh pain knifed through her at the thought, and she could only sneer at her previous naiveté. She had thought she could leave her human life behind easily, but now, when faced with the reality and no other options—it turns out cutting ties and marching to your death isn't as easy (or romantic) as she thought it would be.

"You're thinking too much, Swan," she grumbled before switching on the stereo Emmett had installed for her birthday. She'd actually considered tearing the thing out, but now—as the angry music of Linkin Park filled the cab giving her mind a much needed distraction—she was damn glad she hadn't.

* * *

-P.G.-

* * *

"Oh god," she whispered, wiping the back of her hand over her clammy forehead before flushing away the remnants of last night's dinner. Rising to her feet, she quickly turned on the cold tap at the sink and rinsed her mouth before eyeing her pale reflection in the mirror.

She had thought she was one of the lucky ones that would get by without the whole morning sickness thing. But no, just her luck, halfway through her trip to Alaska, she'd learned otherwise. Rudely and abruptly, she'd bolted awake in the middle of the night to overwhelming nausea. Then she'd spent the next hour with her head hanging over the toilet.

Lovely.

Chalking it up as one more grievance against Carlisle, she finished dressing and grabbed her bags, then quickly made her way to the office to turn in the key. And yes, it was an actual key—the place was that old. After pushing her way into the cramped office, she slid the key onto the counter. "Checking out of number seven. Where's the nearest diner?" she asked the yawning clerk, this one a lanky teen with stringy brown hair, a prominent adam's apple, and a goodly smattering of pimples on his thin face.

"Sorry," he apologized, blushing. "Didn't get much sleep."

She waved him off. "Don't worry about it. The diner?"

"Oh yeah, it's just up the road, that way," he instructed with a jerk of his pointy chin as he signed her out of the register, "two blocks on the left. Molly's Diner—can't miss it."

"Thanks," she muttered, already turning to head toward the door. Once outside, the icy air robbed her of breath, stinging her cheeks and the tip of her nose into cherry-redness. She jogged as fast as she dared to her truck. She couldn't afford to fall now as it wasn't just her ass on the line. Not anymore, as the insistent nudge in her belly reminded her.

…as if she could ever forget.

"I know, sweet-pea, you're hungry, huh? I'll feed you soon, okay?" she murmured with a gentle rub to the rapidly growing bump.

Unlocking the truck, she tossed in her bags and climbed in, wasting no time cranking the engine and flipping on the heater. "Shit, it's cold," she muttered, cupping her hands and blowing into them while waiting for the ancient truck to warm up.

Gunning the engine a couple of times until it ran smoothly, she put it in gear and pulled out, completely ignoring the ringing phone in her pocket. She'd deal with the missed calls over breakfast, but she'd already decided this would be the last time she'd do so.

She had to ditch the phone before getting any closer to her true destination, because she knew, when she finally disappeared, Charlie would use every means necessary to find her. And that included pulling copies of her cell phone records, among other means. That's why she'd been using nothing but cash these last few stops and also why she'd been parking where none of the hotel clerks ever got a look at her truck, personally or via CCTV. She knew she couldn't possibly dodge every camera or sharp eye, but she did what she could to limit her exposure. Thank God it was cold enough to not stand out like a weirdo for wearing her hood up most of the time.

Who knew covering your tracks could be so damned tedious and exhausting?

The truck…

Once she reached her destination, she'd have to get rid of it too, but she figured the vamps could do a more thorough job of that than she could ever hope to do. So really it was one less thing she had to worry with personally, and at this point, she'd take all the breaks she could get.

Of course, she was placing a shit-ton of faith in a group of vampires she hadn't even met yet, but hey, times were tough, and yeah, she'd damn well beg if she had to. Her child's life was on the line, and her pride, she'd recently come to discover, was pretty easy to set aside when it came to protecting her unborn baby.

A snorted laugh escaped her as she spied a thirty-foot billboard of a winking (no shit, the thing actually winked), plate-wielding waitress—Molly, she presumed—and she pulled into the sparsely populated parking lot. "Can't miss it, indeed," she muttered with a chuckle as she hopped out and slung her bag over her shoulder.

It had all her money in it, and she wasn't about to leave it anywhere, locked doors or not. She even held the damn thing on her lap when using public restrooms and curled around it when she slept at night.

Paranoid? Maybe, but with her usual luck, she figured it was better to be safe than to have some jerk-off snag her bag with all her money and take off to parts unknown. She just couldn't risk it.

Pushing open the door to the place, she fought down a sudden wave of nausea at the overwhelming smell of bacon and made her way to the counter. She took a seat as far from the other patrons as she could to hopefully avoid sticking in someone's memory.

"Coffee, hun?" the waitress—Shirley, or so her name tag proclaimed—asked as she slid a menu onto the bar.

Swallowing thickly, Bella slid the menu back and shook her head. "Just white toast, butter on the side and hot tea, please."

Shirley raised a brow but jotted down the order before turning to place the ticket on the rack in the window. Filling a cup with steaming water, she placed it and a variety box of tea bags in front of Bella before moving on to the next customer.

With a sigh, Bella chose the English breakfast and placed it in the cup to steep while pulling out her phone. Sure enough, all missed calls were from Charlie and Renée.

She called Charlie first and he picked up on the second ring. "Bells?"

"Yeah, Dad, it's me. How are you?"

"Never mind me, Bells, it's you I'm worried about. It's been two days since I heard from you."

"I know, but I don't talk while I'm driving, and by the time I get into a room, I'm too tired for anything but sleep. Sorry for worrying you, though."

She heard him sigh. "Yeah well, just, I dunno, send me a text at least, kid. It doesn't have to be lengthy. Just enough to let me know you're okay, you know?"

Her hand strayed to her belly and the baby nudged her palm and only then did the guilt really hit. She could now see just where he was coming from. Too bad it was too late to make a difference in their relationship. "Yeah, Dad, I really am sorry for making you worry. I'll try to do better with that," she lied.

"Okay kid, I just… I love you and I worry," he grumbled in typical Charlie fashion. He'd never been one for expressing emotions, so that last declaration hit her hard.

She swallowed back tears and answered. "I know, Dad. I love you too."

He cleared his throat. "Okay, so I guess I'll talk to you later. Be careful, kid and keep that pepper spray handy."

"I will, Dad. Talk to you later."

The call dropped and she sat there staring for a moment as a tear rolled down her cheek. "Damn it," she whispered, swiping at it as she set the phone down to make her tea.

"You okay, sweetie?" Shirley asked with a knowing look as she set down a plate of dry toast with butter and a little plastic tub of jam on the side.

"Yeah," Bella said, quickly shooting the nosey waitress a fake smile. "I'm good, thanks."

"All right, holler if you need anything," she said, not sounding convinced in the least. Still, she walked away, and that was all that mattered to Bella at the moment.

She took a few minutes to drink her tea and eat some toast before calling Renée. In some respects, because her mother was so self-absorbed, this call would be easier, but in others… Well, this was her mother—the woman she'd spent most of her life with and this would be their last conversation.

In other words, it was gonna tear her up inside.

Steeling herself against her emotions, she took a deep, cleansing breath and pressed send. It was answered almost instantly, unusual for her mother.

"Bella! Hi baby girl! I've been so worried! Why haven't you called?!"

"Hi, Mom. I've been fine, just busy driving. No fancy hands-free feature on the rust bucket, you know?"

"Oh, that's true, I didn't even think of that. Well, tell me all about your trip so far! Meet any cute boys?"

Bella bit back a snort. "No Renée, that's not what this trip is about. Boys are the _last_ thing I'm interested in at the moment."

"Oh, poo. You just wait, honey. One is going to come along when you least expect it, and then you'll be on the phone telling me how right I was." Renée giggled and Bella forced a chuckle.

"Okay Mom, if you say so."

"I do! So, listen…" and from there, Bella sat back, nibbling dry toast and drinking tea while Renée prattled on about her life on the road with Phil. She did take a breath every now and then, and it was then that Bella would interject with an 'Uh-huh' or an 'Oh, wow, really?', just to let her mother know she was still on the line.

"Well, honey, I think I've bent your ear long enough. Besides, Phil needs to get to the ballpark, and I need the car so I have to take him."

"Okay, Mom, I understand and I'll talk to you later. And Mom? I love you," Bella said past the growing lump in her throat. Tears stung her eyes but she fought them. It wouldn't do to draw any more attention from the waitress than she already had, and sobbing like an inconsolable baby would certainly make her more memorable to the woman.

"Oh honey, I love you too! Ta, for now!"

The call dropped and Bella took deep breaths until the urge to cry passed. Then she popped the back off the phone, pulled the battery and sim card, and pocketed all the pieces to throw away later.

Tossing some bills on the counter, she got up and left when the waitress was too busy to notice, slipping out the side door and hurrying to her truck.

She'd stop at the edge of town to disperse the pieces of her phone in separate trash cans and then buy a throwaway phone before hitting the highway. God knew she didn't want to be stuck without a phone if her truck broke down. That'd be a rookie mistake for sure and she couldn't afford to screw up now, especially with as fast as this pregnancy seemed to be progressing.

Driving down the road a ways, she absently rubbed the ever-expanding bump as her fears built. She didn't have the first clue about pregnancy, but from what she'd read so far, it seemed—at only one month along—she was already big enough to be halfway through. And wasn't that a terrifying thought? Especially if the Denalis refused to help.

With a growl of frustration at where she'd let her thoughts go, she pulled up to a row of dumpsters behind a strip-mall to get rid of her old phone pieces, smashing the main one into a useless ruin before tossing it in the last bin in the row. She'd seen the dumpster divers first hand in every town she'd driven through. They seemed a universal feature wherever she went and she wasn't about to take a chance that this town was any different.

Rolling up the window, she switched on the stereo, cranked the volume, and made her way to the highway. "The only way out is forward, Swan," she murmured as she pushed the old truck up to speed. Her little self pep-talk brought to mind another of her favorite sayings and she muttered it to herself with a bitter smile, "When you're going through hell…keep going."

And that's just what she intended to do.

_'Now if I can just find a local who might know where some freakishly beautiful people live.'_

With that last thought, she slid on her sunglasses, turned up the volume and hit the road to the next town.

* * *

-P.G.-

* * *

"There's a truck—if you can call it that—headed this way from the highway," Eleazar informed the statuesque, strawberry blonde known as Tanya when he and his mate Carmen returned from their hunt.

Tanya looked away from her laptop screen and focused on the male, noticing the smirk and the teasing light in his eyes. His mate, Carmen, playfully smacked his shoulder. "It was an old truck with a young girl driving—probably lost, poor thing," she told Tanya while shooting her mate a mock glare.

He grinned and pulled Carmen into his arms. "I'm sure you're right, of course, dearest."

"And…?" Carmen prompted, drawing a put upon sigh from the only male in the coven.

"And, I'm a brute for making fun of the poor little girl's truck." He pulled Carmen even closer, nuzzling her neck as he purred, "Would you like to punish me now or later, dearest wife?"

She laughed, playfully shoving him away as Tanya shook her head. "You two are like a pair of teenagers, I swear." She rose from her seat and walked toward the front door. "I will head off our visitor. You two go work off that extra steam from your hunt."

"Would you like some company, sister?" Irina asked, glancing up from the magazine she was browsing from the chair in the sunny corner of the great room.

Tanya waved her off. "No, I am quite fine going alone, unless your heart is set on joining me."

As she expected, Irina waved her off and went back to reading, so she left, only picking up her true speed after gaining the protective cover of the trees.

Yes, it was deserted out here for the most part, but it never hurt to be careful. God knew she didn't want to give the Volturi any reason to descend on them. She'd had her fill of the murdering bastards centuries ago when they'd killed her mother. For her, _never_ would be too soon to see them again.

It didn't take long at all to locate the truck. Her sensitive hearing led her right to it. She kept her distance at first, watching and listening from the cover of the snow-dusted trees. The tired jalopy, rusty red and easily a few decades old, wheezed and sputtered its way up their snow-crusted, winding drive at a virtual snail's pace while leaving a trail of acrid smoke in its wake. It was obviously burning oil.

With mounting concern, Tanya realized the thing probably wouldn't make it to their home, and if she flagged the girl down and turned her around, the truck probably wouldn't even make it back to the main road, much less back to town.

She muttered a curse when she realized this situation had just become more complicated than she'd wanted or expected. A pain, yes, but certainly nothing she couldn't handle. Both she and her sisters, Kate and Irina, had plenty of experience dealing with humans, though they tended to keep to the male variety.

Still, they never brought any humans to their home, so having one wander into their domain? Not good, and one of the main reasons she chose to make her home out here in the wilds—so she wouldn't have to deal with stray humans. They even had a P.O. box to receive online purchases.

But despite all their precautions, every now and then, a very determined or very stupid human would wander in and they would have to deal with them—humanely, of course. Their human killing days had long since passed.

With a muted shake of her head and another whispered curse, the leader of the Denali coven took off at a jog to her home to get her SUV. She would pick the girl up when, not if, her truck broke down, and drive her back to town where she belonged. Then she would call a tow truck to collect that rolling abomination from her property and be done with it.

**Again, thanks for reading my story!**


	3. Chapter 3

**My thanks to Goldielover, Catgrl, LunaM303, Kouga's older woman, CygnusRift, SlytherinDayDream, Guest, and leward1992, for the encouraging reviews! Thanks as well to all others who read, favorited and followed! It's amazing to know people are enjoying my story and I hope that continues!**

**Note: This chapter has been edited to add in the translations to Eleazar's Spanish as some of you requested. Beware, he's a bit of a potty mouth. **

* * *

-Parting Gift-

* * *

"Oh God, no, please not now," Bella begged as her truck shuddered and died before slowly rolling to a stop. In despair, she leaned her head against the steering wheel. "Why me? Why now?" she whined before peeking at her throw away phone. The display confirmed her worst fears. No service, not even a tiny sliver of a bar.

_'So much for modern technology. Guess we're hoofing it from here, peanut.'_

With a tired huff, she grabbed her bags and hopped out to begin what was likely to be a significant walk if her information source (the gossipy clerk at the local gas station) was right. And in a sad display of optimism, she kept a close eye on the phone's screen as she walked to see if it would miraculously grab a signal.

In the last town, she had caught a lucky break when she told a local convenience store clerk that she was searching for some old family friends. She'd told him that she'd lost the directions to their house, and did he, by chance, know of any freakishly beautiful people that lived anywhere in the area?

Of course, like most teens with too much time on his hands, he'd been all too enthused to gush about a statuesque strawberry-blonde and her (equally hot, according to him) sisters.

Apparently, all three women were greatly admired by the local male population (and a few females as well, he'd added with a snicker). And yes, he just happened to know the directions out to their remote property but really didn't want to talk about how he knew it (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).

Thank God for impulsive teens and small-town gossips. _'At least in this instance,'_ she'd thought.

So that's how she wound up here, broken down a good two miles off the main highway on a twisty, yet well-groomed, snowy gravel drive, with no cell signal and no homes in sight.

As Charlie would probably say… Super.

"No use whining, Swan," she grumbled as her boots crunched on the snow and gravel. "Just keep walking and hope to God there are no bears nearby." _'Or mountain lions. Or wolves.'_ "Shit."

The angels must have been smiling on her, though, because she'd only walked a quarter mile or so when she heard the sounds of tires on gravel. "Yes, oh thank you, God," she breathed, moving to the side of the drive to wait for the sleek, silver SUV.

Seconds later, it pulled up beside her and the driver, a beyond gorgeous strawberry blonde woman, rolled down the window and smiled as she called out, "Car trouble?"

_'What are the odds, Swan?'_

Bella stepped closer and her heart picked up speed when she got a good look at the woman, most notably her eyes—her otherworldly golden eyes. "Yeah, my truck died and I don't have cell service so I'm kinda stuck."

The female laughed, and if Bella had any doubt about what this female was, it was wiped out by the familiar musical quality of that laugh. "No, you would not get service out here, Ptáček. No towers for miles and miles, I am afraid. We have to use satellite communications out here," she said in strangely accented English.

"Wow, sounds a bit pricy," Bella said before waggling her throw away phone with a sardonic smirk. "Walmart special."

"Sorry to hear that," the woman quipped dryly. Then she leaned over to pop her passenger door open from the inside. "Get in and I will take you into town. You can get a hotel room and hire a tow for your truck from there."

Bella stepped forward, placing a hand on the door frame before pausing to gather her courage. She'd made it this far, she might as well go all the way. "You—you wouldn't happen to be Tanya, would you? Or know a Tanya of the—of the Denali coven?"

The blonde's expression hardened immediately and her tone went cold, "How do you know that?"

Before Bella could blink, the female was out of the truck and looming over her. Cool fingers grasped her chin and forced Bella to meet darkening golden eyes. Her actions were firm but also gentle which Bella was relieved by. "Answer me quickly, little human. How do you know that?"

"I—I know the Cullens," Bella blurted, terrified by the fierce expression on the blonde's face. Being confronted by this strange vampire was conjuring flashbacks of Arizona and James the nomad. "I know the Cullens and they talked about you a few times. I came here because they left me—they left Forks, and I really need your help."

Tanya backed away a step and crossed her arms. "If they left you behind, you have wasted your time coming here. I will not help you find them."

"No, that's not why I'm here," Bella stated firmly, in a calm tone that shocked even her, considering the fear coursing through her body. She had no other choice, though. Her last resort was currently glaring down at her from a good six-inch height advantage over her 5'4" frame. Damn leggy, beautiful vampires…

"Please," Bella continued, "Give me a chance to explain? And then—then if you decide I'm not worth your time," she sagged and wrapped her arms over her middle, "then I guess you might as well kill me because I'll probably die soon anyway." Bella met the vampire's golden eyes straight on. "You've really got nothing to lose. No one knows I'm here. I've told no one, not family or friends, not even the Cullens and I've covered my tracks while getting here too, I swear."

Tanya's eyes narrowed. "I do not know you. Why should I trust anything you say? You pose a threat, Ptáček (little bird)."

Bella allowed herself a sardonic smirk. "Really? Like I could hurt you? You could snap my neck before I could blink, and just take a look at my truck and the way I'm dressed. Do top-secret agents dress in baggy sweats?" She pointed back toward her truck. "Does that look like the vehicle of a person who's in league with the government or plotting some elaborate anti-vampire conspiracy?"

Tanya's lips twitched as a spark of amusement lit her eyes and she cupped Bella's chin again. "All right, little human," she drawled, a hint of her Slavic accent bleeding through. "But know this, if I determine that you are a threat in any way, I will end you and they will never find so much as a hair from your little human head, understood?"

"Understood," Bella agreed.

Tanya released her and Bella nearly sagged in relief as the vampire waved toward her SUV. "Get in the car, little human."

"My name is Bella," she grumbled, shooting the super-model blonde a disgruntled glance. However, she did so while complying with the instruction. Bella wasn't suicidal, after all. This was an unknown vampire who, despite her obvious choice of diet and association with the Cullens, could end Bella's life in a fraction of a second. Best not to provoke her.

Once they had turned around and were on their way to the main house, Tanya gave Bella a narrow-eyed glance. "Your scent… it is very attractive."

Bella bit back a snort. "Yeah, I've heard that a time or two."

Tanya hummed at the back of her throat and Bella watched as the vampire's eyes narrowed to slits as her head tilted. "There is also something quite familiar about it, as if…" Tanya's eyes shot wide. "No! He did not!"

Bella didn't even have time to protest as Tanya reached over and swept the curtain of hair away from her neck—the side sporting a very visible mark—Carlisle's mark.

The next thing Bella knew, the blonde had slammed on the breaks and if not for the seatbelt, Bella would have gone flying. "He marked you?! You?! A plain little _pregnant_ human girl?!"

Bella glared and the blonde sat back in her seat, chuckling humorlessly while muttering to herself, "Oh Carlisle, what have you done, my friend? And with the plain little 'girl next door', who is pregnant to boot. So _very_ naughty of you, good doctor."

Bella couldn't hold back any longer. "Hey, I'm right here you know? And, yeah, I may be plain, but I'm an adult, decidedly not a little girl, and as for the pregnant part? Guess what? I wasn't that way until _he_ made me that way, thanks very much! As a matter of fact, I was a virgin that night and that's the one and only time I've _ever_ done anything! Just in case you were going to add slut to the list!"

Tanya was now regarding her with one brow raised. "You expect me to believe you carry a vampire's child?" She scoffed. "Such a thing is not possible."

Bella crossed her arms, still glaring as she said, "It's why I came here. They left and I didn't discover the little gift he gave me until after they were long gone. I've searched for them, but the results of that should be pretty clear since I'm here instead of wherever he is." She sighed and ran shaky fingers through her tousled hair before meeting the calculating gaze of her hostess. "Look, I need the help of vampires, okay? This baby is growing at an insanely fast pace so I'm thinking it's gotta be more vampire than human. I'm only five weeks along but I already look twenty."

Tanya's eyes narrowed to slits as she looked at Bella's sweat jacket covered belly. "Hmm," the vampire muttered skeptically.

"Look," Bella muttered, "I know it's hard to believe. Hell, the only reason _I_ believe it is because I'm living it. But I _need_ your help. If not for this baby, I wouldn't be here, believe me. I would've left you alone. Hell, I would've left _them_ alone too, since it's pretty damn clear they don't want me."

Tanya's eyes narrowed again. "You could be lying. The chances are that this is a normal human pregnancy. Something that probably angered your parents because you refused to terminate, so they kicked you out over it, yes?"

Bella scoffed. "Why would I search out a bunch of vampires for that? I could've just gone to a pregnant women's shelter had that been the case."

Tanya shrugged and pursed her lips. "Some people will go to great lengths for money and if you know the Cullens as you claim, then you know they are wealthy."

Bella hung her head and nodded while thinking it ironic that she would be accused of coveting the Cullen money. She'd always fought against Edward and Alice when they tried to spend money on her and now this? If the situation weren't so dire, she would've laughed. But she was tired. Mentally exhausted, really, and didn't have any energy left to argue her case.

After an awkward stretch of silence, she finally looked up at the suspicious blonde. "Look, just take me to your home, please? Watch me for a few days. You'll see the baby's rate of growth for yourself. If after that you're not convinced, then boot me out the door. I'll either freeze into an interesting new lawn ornament or survive long enough to figure something else out."

Tanya eyed her for a moment. "Like what?"

Bella shook her head, muttering, "I have no frigging clue." She met the vampire's golden gaze and a tear rolled down her cheek that she wasn't conscious of. "I'm exhausted, Ms. Denali, just fucking worn out. Coming here was my last, best hope. If this doesn't work out, I'm at a loss.

"Though if it's money you're worried about, I can pay for my keep, for a while, anyway." Bella shoved her bag to the center console. "There's three thousand dollars and some change in that bag. It's all I have left, but you're welcome to it as long as you let me stay for a while. Just… give me a chance, please."

Tanya blinked then rolled her eyes and shoved the bag back to Bella. "I do not need your money, little human." With that, she put the car in gear and finished the drive to the house in silence.

The house, when it came into view, couldn't be classified as a house at all really. Not when it was one of those massive, three-story log mansions and beyond beautiful. Really, it looked like one of those fancy ski resort lodges for the rich and famous. But, considering they were close friends of the Cullens, Bella wasn't surprised.

"Welcome to our home," Tanya said as she pulled into the cavernous garage that was tucked around the back of the mansion. She pressed the button to close the door and gestured passed six other parked cars to a door in the corner. "Come, I will show you to a room where you may freshen up and rest before you meet the rest of my family."

"They'll be okay with waiting?" Bella asked and Tanya chuckled.

"I am the leader of this coven. The others comply with my wishes."

"Ah, got it."

"Come," Tanya repeated and Bella followed her up some steps and into the house. She glanced around as she was led into a utility room that opened to a lavish, untouched kitchen with miles of polished granite and stainless steel, and up a wide staircase.

"I will give you the full tour later after you have rested and we have talked. Until then," she said, stopping and opening a door to a large, comfortably appointed room done in natural oak, beiges, and blues. "this will be your room while you are here. That door is to the ensuite bathroom, the other is to the closet. While you rest, I will drive into town and shop for food, but that is the extent of my experience with such things. You will have to cook for yourself. For now, I will only be buying the basics. You can give me a more extensive list later, yes?"

Bella hefted her bag onto the queen bed and nodded. "That's way more than I expected, thank you. But let me give you some money—"

Tanya held up a hand. "I shop with plastic. Much easier to keep track of our finances that way. Believe me, when I say supporting you for days, months or even years would not even dent the interest my accounts generate in a day.

"Without going into detail, I am very old—much older than your Carlisle—and have the wealth to show for it, so do not concern yourself, holčička (baby girl). Now, get some sleep, yes? No one will bother you here, you have my word."

She left and Bella slumped onto the bed. She was bone-weary and could hardly believe she'd actually made it. And now that the hardest part was over and she was still alive to see another day, she could barely hold her eyes open. At that thought, she covered a yawn, toed off her shoes, scooted to the center of the bed and promptly fell asleep with one hand holding her belly.

* * *

-P.G.-

* * *

Tanya went straight from her new guest's room to Eleazar's office, listening carefully for a moment before knocking. He was alone, thank the gods.

"Enter," he called.

He watched her glide in and seat herself in one of the soft, leather armchairs in front of his desk before raising a questioning brow. "What can I do for you?" he asked at the pensive look on his coven leader's face.

She pursed her lips. "You are aware we have a guest?"

His lips twitched and he dipped his head in a nod. "Difficult to miss the beating hearts. I'm guessing a pregnant woman, but for the life of me, I cannot fathom why you would bring her here instead of driving her straight back to town."

Tanya smirked. "It is quite a tantalizing story, El, one I am sure you will appreciate. Considering you are particularly close friends with one of the main characters."

His brows shot up because the list of friends he would call close was short, and the people on it not likely to dally with a young and pregnant human girl. "Oh?"

"Oh yes," she purred, her smile now as wicked and knowing as the gleam in her eyes.

He blinked and relaxed into his seat as his fingers tapped a rhythm on the side of his brandy snifter. "You have my full attention."

Her smile grew. "I thought I might."

He snorted a laugh. "Now you're just being dramatic, Tee, a quality I do not find endearing in the least, so please proceed."

She pouted, then gave him a more genuine, teasing smile. "Kill-joy. And this tidbit was _so_ delicious but very well, I will not drag out my fun. Our little guest—no more than seventeen or eighteen, I would wager—has been claimed and marked by none other than our good friend the Doctor."

She watched, amused as Eleazar choked on a sip of brandy then blotted his lips with the back of his free hand as he set the snifter aside. "Que chingados dijiste?!(What the fuck did you say?!) I fail to see the humor here, Tanya. Now, who is this girl, really?"

Tanya studied her nails with a bored expression. She was enjoying the hell out of this. Carlisle's coven—Edward and Rose in particular—had always been judgmental about her and her sisters engaging with human men. So if what this girl claimed was true, it was a bit of sweet irony. Also, it wasn't every day she could shock Eleazar, and this situation, if true, was simply astonishing. "When she awakes, you will see the mark for yourself. Moreover, you will recognize his embedded scent. I am not lying, El, and this is no joke."

He leaned forward, staring at her intently. "Carlisle—our Carlisle—claimed and marked a pregnant human female?" He tossed himself back into his chair and tsk'ed at the back of his throat while regarding her through narrowed eyes. "I'm sorry, Tee, but I will have to witness this myself. It's just too outlandish to believe."

She gave him a careless shrug. "I know what I know, El, but I understand your skepticism. I am not offended." She leaned forward and smirked. "Though... may I offer another tidbit for you to ponder while you wait?"

"Madre de Dios (Mother of God)," he muttered. "Fine, don't keep me waiting."

"The girl claims our dear Carlisle is her child's father."

Eleazar gaped, only snapping his mouth shut when Tanya leaned forward and tapped under his chin. "Close that, El. You look like a lack-wit with such a slack jaw."

She sat back and crossed her legs, looking smug at his stunned silence. "I had thought such a thing an impossibility but you spent decades with the Volturi," she sneered the name like a curse. "Have you ever heard of such a thing? A vampire impregnating a human?"

"Dios Mio (My God)," he whispered, casting a stunned gaze out the window before nodding. "Such information was kept very quiet, with very few having access to it, but yes, it has happened. But Carlisle?! Ay, que la chingada (Oh, what the fuck)." He shook his head and looked back at her. "This is most unexpected, if it's even true, of course."

She dipped her head, acknowledging the chance that it wasn't true. The girl carried Carlisle's scent after all, but still, a mark _does not_ a pregnancy make. "Of course." She tapped her manicured nails on the chair arm. "She has asked for time here and for our help, as well. I have decided to grant her this, so I guess the truth of the matter will reveal itself in time."

His frown deepened. "Shouldn't we contact Carlisle?"

Tanya's brow creased, the speed of her tapping fingers increasing as she considered the question. She'd actually thought of that before coming in here to speak to El, but she'd decided to wait and see what else the girl might have to say. She got the feeling there was much to the story she didn't yet know. "I believe we should wait and see what else she may tell us."

El's expression darkened. "I don't agree. If the girl is marked and this child truly his, he has a right to know. Hell, even if the child is _not_ his, he should know she's here making such claims against his name."

Tanya's eyes narrowed. "He left her after marking and claiming her—that is an abandonment of the worst sort. You know this, so why should he have any rights over the resulting child?"

His expression closed and tone cooled. "Should her story prove true, then we're talking about the unborn child of _our dear friend_, Tee. For that reason, I would see _him_ receive the benefit of any doubt instead of some unknown human girl."

Her eyes went flinty. "It is a child that he knows nothing about," she gripped the chair arms and leaned forward, "because he _abandoned_ its mother—his undeniably claimed mate." She tossed up a hand and sat back. "Who does that? And is there ever a valid excuse for doing such a thing? Just wait until you see her. She is nothing but a waif, thin and pale and so sorrowfully young." She rested her chin in her palm and looked out the window. Tapping her cheek with a finger, she murmured, "She told me she was a virgin when he took her." She looked back at her coven member whose expression was still reluctant, but now troubled as well. "It was her first and only time and he left her."

"Chingao (fuck)," he muttered, then grabbed his snifter and drained the contents. "I am truly at a loss for what his reasoning could have been, aside from his regard for Esme. Perhaps, since the girl is human, he thought the bond would not establish itself? Perhaps he thought leaving would rectify the situation?" He shook his head. "I just don't know."

"Perhaps," Tanya agreed. "One thing I do know, he will experience the loss, the pain of the absence of his bonded. I wonder how he is coping," she mused.

He hummed and nodded. "Yet another thing we will not know without speaking to him."

She met El's gaze, her eyes filled with sympathy over the difficult position this would put him in. "True," she agreed, "but will you agree to at least delay contacting him? I understand he is like a brother to you and this situation places you right in the middle."

He regarded her silently for a moment before giving a nod. "I know my friend, Tee, and I think when all is said and done, he will understand my reasoning. So yes I agree. We'll talk to the girl first and go from there."

"Good," she said, relieved as she stood and glided to the door. "I have some shopping to do. I shall see you in a bit. When I return, I will call a meeting as soon as the girl is rested and ready."

"Until then," he said with a nod as the door closed on Tanya.

Then he slouched into the deep, cushioned back of his chair and stared into nothing. "Dios mio, Carlisle… que carajo hiciste? (what the fuck did you do?)"

* * *

**That's it for chapter 3. Was it ok? Thanks again for reading!**

**As for Eleazar's Spanish curses, translations have been added as requested! :-) The only one I'm iffy on is Chingao. Friends (native Spanish speakers) have said it is slang for fu*k, but after doing some searches online, I'm thinking it's a regional thing. So, for the sake of this fic, let's just say that El has spent a good amount of time in Northern Mexico. Kay? Awesome. LOL  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**My thanks to Leward1992, LunaM303, Goldielover, Hstevens, CygnusRift, ceann aisteach, catgrl, CowgirlKelly, kouga's older woman, Nosebone, and those who reviewed as guests! Seriously, thank you all for the encouragement! Also, a couple of your reviews haven't posted to the story. Not sure what's up with that, but I thought I would mention it in case you looked for your comments and couldn't find them. I got them in emails, but that's the only way I knew you left comments. Weird, right? lol**

**Also, I edited chapter 3 late yesterday to add the translations as requested. Now on to chapter 4 where we finally get to see Carlisle again! I hope you continue to enjoy it!**

* * *

-Parting Gift-

* * *

"I know what happened, you know?" Edward closed and locked the door, then clasped his hands behind his back as he strolled to the center of the room. "Maybe not all the gory details," he said with a sidelong glance, "but enough to have the general picture."

Carlisle's breath caught, then he exhaled heavily and leaned back in his office chair. As he closed his laptop, he gestured to the seat across from him. He'd known this talk was coming eventually. He just hadn't known when or who would start it.

Edward took the offered seat and laced his fingers together across his abdomen while regarding Carlisle stoically.

"I figured you might," the blond doctor admitted while holding his first coven member's gaze steadily. He'd done his best to avoid thinking about the events of that night, but his efforts had been in vain, apparently.

Edward's smirk was bitter. "No, not entirely in vain," he said, answering his maker's thoughts. "I've only caught fragments here and there, but believe me, they were more than enough to put the basic picture together."

They regarded each other silently for a stretch until Edward broke it with a conversational tone. "This may come as a shock to you Carlisle—because honestly, it's kind of a shock to me—but I'm not nearly as angry as I thought I would be. I mean, sure, I'm pissed off at the circumstances. But not nearly as bad as I probably should be considering she and I were technically together when you fucked her."

Carlisle blanched at the crude term. It didn't come close to defining the soul-deep connection he and Bella had shared that night. But when he considered how Edward must feel about the whole thing, he looked away in shame. "I am truly sorry for violating your trust, Edward."

Edward arched an eyebrow. "Yes, well, luckily for both of us, I'd already concluded she wasn't really compatible as my mate. But I'd been unsure how to end things and, ironically, was planning on coming to you for advice on the matter.

"I really liked her as a person, you know? And she'd become so attached to me in return—I guess I didn't want to be _that_ asshole who would dump her for no real reason. Frankly speaking, it was a mess that I'd gotten myself into with no graceful way in sight of getting out.

"So really, Jasper did me a favor when he lost his shit at her birthday party." Carlisle gave him a glare and Edward raised a hand. "Don't get me wrong, I didn't want her to be attacked, and I hate that she had to suffer such a frightening incident. But I can't deny, it gave me the perfect way out, one that I hoped she'd come to understand in time and maybe even take comfort from."

He smirked. "But now, after what happened with _you_"? he quipped, "_I'm_ probably pretty damn low on her list of things to cry over. So, thanks for that."

Carlisle's jaw tightened but he beat back his rising emotions and the thoughts they inevitably conjured—her soft skin, her scent, the way she felt wrapped around him—by sheer force of will. "Yes, it seems it's turned out to be quite convenient for you," he said, trying (and probably failing) not to sound bitter. "Have you shared any of this with Jasper, to ease his mind at least?"

Edward gave a nod. "I have. In fact, we had quite a long talk about it. He was relieved."

Carlisle could feel his irritation rising at how blasé Edward was being with all of this. He was also surprised to realize he'd almost prefer a physical fight over this quiet display of disappointed disdain. He breathed through his rising emotions though, and did his best to see things from Edward's perspective.

Carlisle also didn't harbor ill feelings against Jasper for the mishap. He'd been feeling the bloodlust of the others as well as his own after all. And Edward's was particularly strong since Bella was his singer. Something like that was bound to happen sooner or later considering Bella's penchant for accidents. "I would imagine he's very relieved. Attacking someone's mate is serious so I'm sure you've removed a great weight from his shoulders."

Edward cocked an eyebrow. "Hmm, yes, well, it certainly helps that she wasn't truly my mate. Which, incidentally, is the _only_ reason I haven't punched you in the face, at minimum. Make no mistake, I still consider you family, my big brother, but a big part of me still really wants to kick your ass. It's why I waited this long to confront you. I needed to cool off."

When Carlisle only nodded, Edward's eyes narrowed. "I'm curious though, you haven't quite been yourself since we left Forks. You hide it well, but I know you best, I've seen it. So I have to ask, just what is she to you besides a bite at a particularly juicy apple?" At Carlisle's silence, Edward tilted his head and continued with a grim smile. "You took her, I know that much, but I can't escape the feeling there's more. So what else transpired that night?"

Carlisle remained stoic while burying the resurgent memories of that night under mundane ones as he answered, "She's a lovely young woman, Edward. She's very sweet, but she's nothing of consequence to me." The lie tasted like ash on his tongue, but it was for the best. Because Edward was likely right concerning their cursed existence, and he wasn't willing to risk her in such a way. She was better off living a happy, human life.

Even if living without her would be agony and the greatest regret of his very long life. Such was his penance, he reckoned, for claiming her—a beautiful, vibrant young woman—when he shouldn't have. He would endure the pain and hold the secret of what she was to him in the depths of his soul.

Edward smiled sadly and shook his head as he sighed. "This is me, Carlisle, and even though I'm angry, I still love and respect you. I'm not here to judge or to beat you over the head with your feelings. I got my verbal digs in earlier during this conversation and now I'm ready to let bygones be bygones.

"So, in case you change your mind, I'm here to listen. I hope you know that. I would think after all this time and all we've been through, you'd feel that you can trust me."

He watched, mildly surprised, as Carlisle slouched and rested his face in his hands as he leaned his elbows on his desk. He seemed to deliberate for a moment before speaking. "I do trust you, but this—what I've done—it's very difficult for me to acknowledge." He met Edward's concerned gaze and slumped back in his chair. "I lost control. God help me, but I surrendered to my instincts and lost control. I took her, but more than that, Edward, I—I marked her—tied myself to her for the rest of my years. I'm just thankful she's human and won't suffer the strained bond the way I must."

Edward could only stare. He knew something had happened beyond mere sex, but this was Carlisle—with a willpower of hardened steel—and the scope of this revelation was just… Words failed him. "Shit," he muttered. "Carlisle, I don't know what to say." His mouth opened and closed twice as he searched for words. "There's Esme… and… how the _hell_ are you coping with the stressed bond? Good God, what an awful mess," he finished with a noisy sigh.

"Yes," Carlisle agreed. "That about sums it up."

"What do you intend to do?"

Carlisle splayed his hands, his tone weary as he answered. "Nothing. Our family will continue on as usual."

Edward raised a skeptical brow. "And Bella?"

He watched as Carlisle's face fell as he absently rubbed his chest. He doubted his sire even realized he was doing it.

"Isabella," the blond doctor murmured, "will live out her human life, with family and friends, and eventually die a natural death, as is only proper."

"I agree," Edward added quietly, though he couldn't quite get past the look of devastation in Carlisle's eyes or the defeated set to the noble vampire's shoulders. It was distressing to see him this way, and he prayed it wouldn't last, or God forbid, get worse.

Perhaps it was time to offer some support—

"We've talked about this many times over the years, so I'm sure you already know, but it's worth mentioning again. I think you're doing the right thing, Carlisle. All of us were at death's door when you changed us. You gave us a new lease on life, even if it was a cursed one. But Bella? She's young and healthy, with her whole life ahead of her. It would be a travesty to condemn such a soul to the cursed existence of our kind."

Carlisle looked away, his jaw flexing with tension and voice thick with emotion as he answered. "I know you're right. Letting her go is the right thing to do." He looked back at Edward with sorrowful eyes. "But it's also the hardest thing I've ever had to do, and I know, down to my very marrow, I will feel that loss for the rest of my years."

* * *

-P.G.-

* * *

After her nap and a shower, Bella descended the stairs, apprehension curling in her gut the closer she got to the great room of the house. A coven meeting had been called just minutes before and she was following Tanya to meet the rest of the members.

Needless to say, her nerves were just about shot.

To make matters worse, her stomach was growling in hunger. It had been hours since she'd eaten anything and to her surprise, she caught the aroma of food just as they reached the first floor landing.

She gave Tanya a puzzled look and the vampire smirked and ushered her to the kitchen. "I know you are hungry, I hear your stomach making angry noises so the meeting can wait until you have eaten," she said with a wave at the white take-out container on the counter. "It is some sort of Chinese fast food having something to do with a panda which I find very odd. Do humans really eat pandas? It is a terrible shame if they do, they are such beautiful creatures."

Bella opened her mouth to answer but Tanya waved a hand in dismissal. "Never mind, enough of my rambling, you need to eat. Now, I have heard on the television that fast food is not healthy for you, but it is the best I could do for the time being. You can cook something healthy later from the food I bought at the supermarket. Fresh meats and all sorts of vegetable and fruit things."

Bella opened the take-out container and picked up the plastic fork. "No, this is great for now and very thoughtful of you, so thank you," she said before digging into the chicken lo mein with single-minded focus. She felt like she was starving.

Looking mildly disgusted but trying to hide it, Tanya gave her a wavering smile and waved toward the front of the house. "We will be in the great room when you are finished, yes?"

Bella's mouth was full so she nodded and kept eating as her vampire host left the room. She managed to eat about half before hitting her limit, so she closed the box and placed it in the fridge. Then she grabbed a bottle of water to drink before heading to the great room.

Conversation halted when she walked in and she smiled sheepishly while looking at all the perfectly beautiful vampires in the room. "Hi, I'm Bella. Thank you for allowing me into your home. I'll, uh, try to stay quiet and out of the way as much as possible."

"Oh, she's precious, Tee, though, from the looks of things, she needs a new wardrobe."

"Hush, Kate," Tanya said with a wry smile and patted the sofa seat beside her. "Come, Bella, sit and I shall introduce you."

Bella crossed the room, a bit of a waddle to her walk which both surprised and appalled her as she tugged the hem of the t-shirt she was wearing. It was probably the largest she owned (stolen from Charlie of course), but it was getting tight in the belly already. With dismay, she realized she couldn't really argue with this Kate person about her clothes. She'd have to get some new ones very soon.

Once she'd settled on the couch, Tanya began pointing out the separate vampires as she made introductions. The two other bombshell blondes were first. "These are my sisters, Irina and Kate and those two," she said with a wave toward a strikingly handsome, brunet couple, "are Eleazar and his lovely mate, Carmen."

"Bella," they all chorused greetings with nods and polite smiles. Their rather openly warm reception eased her mind greatly. Especially when she thought about the negative way Rosalie had reacted when they'd first met (and the whole time she'd been with Edward, really).

Before she could say anything, however, the male—Eleazar—rose from his seat and approached her with his hand extended. "Bella, it is a pleasure to meet you." He gently took her hand and gave a shallow bow. She fought down a blush at his smooth Spanish accent and old fashioned gallantry to give him a polite smile. "Carlisle is one of my oldest and dearest friends—a brother, if you will. It is an honor to host his bonded mate in our home."

He released her hand as she paled as a mile panic set in. "B-Bonded _what_? I mean, yeah, he left a mark on me when we were both a little, uh, caught up in the moment, but…

"And, oh God, he—he doesn't know I'm here, does he?" She looked between Eleazar and Tanya. "I mean, _part_ of me wants to see him, but another part—I just don't know."

"No, Bella, he does not know," Eleazar soothed. "At least, none of us have contacted him." He cocked a brow as he resumed his seat. "I presume you are aware, however, of Alice and her talent?"

Bella's eyes went wide. With everything on her mind, she had forgotten Alice's gift completely. But still, she was baffled how such a detail had slipped her mind. "Yes," she said, shooting an appalled look at Tanya. "Why hasn't she seen this?"

Tanya raised a brow and gently ventured, "Who is to say she has not?"

Bella bit her lip. "But... if she has and they haven't called you guys or tried to find me, that would mean…" she trailed off and stood abruptly, walking to one of the windows to stare out onto the snow-covered landscape. It was idyllic, with the sun-dappled snow glittering like diamonds and icicles dripping from the boughs of deep green fir trees. But none of that beauty registered with Bella at the moment.

She had thought their initial abandonment was bad, but this? Alice had to have seen something and yet…

The vampires exchanged looks as the minutes ticked by. They all knew what Bella must be thinking, and they really couldn't dispute it. The one thing they didn't know was Carlisle's reasoning. Only he could explain that.

"They _truly_ don't want anything to do with me. I mean, I had said the words before, but I guess they hadn't really sunk in," Bella finally murmured as her voice trembled with tears. "The oh-so-righteous Edward and worse still, the ever compassionate Carlisle were both more than happy to dump me… even after… after…"

Tanya shared a puzzled look with El while mouthing _Edward?_ to which he merely shrugged.

Then Bella turned toward them with her chin raised and jaw set as silent tears rolled down her cheeks. As they watched, determination lit her eyes. "I need your help. I—I'm begging your help to deliver my child and—and to survive it in some way, even if that means that you change me.

"If I am dying and you find it in your hearts to change me, then when the time's right, when I can function again without the risk of murdering humans, I promise you that my child and I won't burden you any longer. I'll make my own home, my own way, and I _won't_ need a man to do it."

She raised her trembling right hand. "As God is my witness, I'm never gonna be this weak again. _Ever_."

After making such a solemn declaration, she quietly left the room and climbed the stairs to enter the guest room Tanya had given her just hours earlier.

* * *

**That's a wrap for chapter 4! Let me know what you thought! I'm quite a few chapters ahead on this, and I make myself write a new one before posting the next. Needless to say, I'm getting excited to share the upcoming chapters, but I must pace myself! lol **


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you to the following folks for leaving reviews for the last chapter! leward1992, LunaM303, Goldielover, CygnusRift, Hstevens, catgrl, Nosebone, kouga's older woman, and guests. You guys are amazing. **

**I'd also like to mention CygnusRift's story _Of Dust and Everlasting Stars._ If you like the LoTR fandom and the elves (Haldir in particular) then go check it out!**

* * *

-Parting Gift-

* * *

At the end of the previous chapter, Bella had just rushed from the room after reaching the conclusion that the Cullens didn't want to have anything to do with her.

* * *

As the sound of a closing door and muffled sobs reached their ears, Tanya crossed her arms and met Eleazar's gaze with a raised brow. "So, what do you say now, El? Still think Carlisle has a right to know?"

"Yes," he said, raising both hands to ward off the immediate protests. "Though," he said with his voice raised to be heard over the noise of their grousing, "I will honor Bella's wishes in the matter."

"Good," Tanya said with a relieved nod.

"However," El cut in, "I feel the need to add that should he contact me, I will _not_ lie to him. But neither will I mention her or the child unless he does so first."

After a moment's consideration, Tanya gave a nod. "I think that is reasonable. Everyone is entitled to screw up now and then and Carlisle is a good man, our steadfast friend. We simply do not know his side of things and so we should not judge too harshly until we do.

"Perhaps he truly does not know her situation. Alice may be traveling away from the family and for whatever reason, has not had a vision of the girl. Or she may have her own reasons to let things play out as they will. Who knows? What we do know is that her gift is not perfect. Despite her proven accuracy in things such as stocks, she does not see everything."

"This is very true," Eleazar conceded, his fingers tapping a rhythm on the sofa arm, his expression pensive. "I just can't escape the feeling there's something we're missing, and I must admit, I'd dearly love to give my oldest friend the benefit of the doubt. This apparent callous abandonment of the girl is tremendously out of character for Carlisle, I'm sure you can all agree. And I'm very curious about how they came to know each other at all."

They all nodded. "Yes," Kate said, her expression puzzled. "I just can't wrap my mind around the whole situation, especially when I think of Esme. Where is she in all this mess? Does she even know what took place or what's going on?"

Tanya nodded. "Edward too, for that matter. He is a talented mind reader, nothing much escapes him. Also, why did Bella mention him when she spoke of being dumped. Did you catch that?" she asked with a sidelong glance at Eleazar.

"Yes, I did," he mused. "I just cannot escape the feeling there is much we do not know."

Tanya nodded. "Well, at any rate, we all agree to keep the girl's secrets and help her?" She looked at each of her family members and they all nodded. "Good," she said before shifting her focus to Eleazar. "According to Bella, she has three thousand dollars cash in her bag. I would like you to invest it for her. Use the highest-yield investments according to Alice's latest email. We need to grow that capital for her as quickly as possible because I have a feeling she will be reluctant to take anything she feels is charity. And with a child coming, she is going to need plenty of money for her future."

He nodded. "Consider it done, but perhaps you should get the money from her. She seems to look to you and trust you."

Tanya's brows rose, but Kate spoke up to agree. "That's true sister, although it's probably because she's had the most contact with you. She barely knows the rest of us which, when I think about it, must be hard for her. I have to admit though, I'm impressed with her bravery so far. It took guts for her to track down a group of vampires, much less, ones she's never met."

"Guts or desperation," Irina threw in with a smirk. "Humans will do many things when they have no other choice."

"She has a gift, or she will if she's changed," Eleazar added, surprising them all.

"Really?" Tanya drawled. "That is interesting. What is the nature of it?"

"That's where I'm stumped. I know it has to do with her mind, but I cannot seem to detect what it is beyond that. A shield, perhaps? Only time will tell for certain."

"Not even _time_ will tell if she's never changed," Irina added with narrowed eyes. "Do you all realize the risk we're taking if she remains human?"

"The Volturi," Tanya spat.

"Yep, the ghouls. No offense El," Kate added with a wince since they were his one-time employers. He waved off her concern and she continued, "I don't know about you guys, but I'd rather not have their attention directed our way for any reason."

"Agreed," Tanya said with a disgusted sneer. She hated the Volturi for good reason. They'd killed her maker centuries earlier for creating and secreting away an immortal child. She knew her mother was in the wrong; she had broken their laws. And the immortal child had ravaged a human village. Exactly what the Volturi were trying to prevent by outlawing the creation of such beings. But knowing all of that didn't ease the sting of loss Tanya and her sisters suffered or their subsequent hatred of the merciless coven.

By Tanya's reasoning, the ghouls could have destroyed the child and imprisoned her mother for a time as punishment. But no, they'd torn her maker apart and burned her while making Tanya and her sisters watch. And for that, Tanya would only ever see them as merciless monsters.

"You raise a valid point," Eleazar conceded. "The girl's change is inevitable, if only for the safety of our coven."

"Yes, and I have to wonder," Tanya mused, "if Carlisle has completely lost his senses for not only doing what he has done to Bella but also breaking the laws of secrecy by leaving her unchanged and alive with such knowledge."

Carmen, who had merely listened so far, finally felt the need to speak. With an apologetic glance at her mate, she said, "While I understand the concerns that have been raised for our coven, the girl is about to become a mother. How will she tend to her child if she's out of her mind with bloodlust, not to mention learning to manage her strength? Also, the child will be half-human, sí? Who's to say she won't attack the child? As we all know, fledgling vampires are notoriously short on control. How will we manage all of that if we change her?"

"Based on the documentation the Volturi amassed on hybrids," Eleazar said with a moue of distaste, "I don't believe her change will be optional so we'll just have to manage if it comes to that. The births of such children are brutal. The human mothers… never survived which I'm sure was due to a lack of care."

Tanya's eyes narrowed. "Explain please."

"Well," he said through a sigh, "the Volturi simply did not care to save the mothers. Instead, they chose to merely observe the process in all its… natural progression.

"It's important to understand, these hybrids were much stronger than their human mothers and had an innate instinct to survive," he finished with a frown.

"So basically, they stood back and let the kid tear its own mother apart, and then did nothing to save the poor woman in the aftermath," Kate summarized with a sneer.

With splayed hands, Eleazar inclined his head. "In plain-speech, yes, that was the case. I'm sure we can do a much better job of it in this poor girl's case.

"You see, the membrane surrounding the hybrid seemed to prevent a natural birth. Now, my knowledge is quite limited on this, but humans sometimes perform a procedure to surgically remove the child from the womb. Perhaps we could look into such a procedure for our guest."

"Dios Mio," Carmen breathed, her eyes wide. "How awful for those poor women."

Eleazar pulled her close and kissed her temple.

Tanya's gaze sharpened as she looked at Eleazar and snapped, "These hybrid children—are they anything like immortal children? Because if they are—"

He cut her short with a lifted hand. "From what I read, no, they are not. Some were even observed exhibiting sorrow over killing their mother during birth. A select few even expressed guilt and regret upon developing the ability to speak. And while they all consumed blood to survive, none ever exhibited bloodlust."

"Those poor babies," Carmen said before tucking her face into her mate's shoulder.

Tanya looked intrigued. "What happened to them, El? Why have we never heard of these hybrids or met any of them? Surely they stand out from the population?"

His eyes hardened. "They were kept as virtual prisoners in the castle. As they grew, the Volturi kept careful records of their progress. When they reached full maturity and there was nothing new for the Volturi to learn from them…" he trailed and lifted his trembling mate into his lap while giving Tanya a pointed look.

"They destroyed them, didn't they?" she asked and he jerked a nod.

"Yes," he confirmed, shushing Carmen when she gasped.

"They treated them as lab rats!" Kate spat with a sneer.

"What do you expect from the ghouls?" Tanya drawled. "Compassion? Mercy? Ha! Never. They are foul. We have known this for centuries." She looked away, eventually shaking her head once she'd calmed herself.

"So what can we expect with Bella's pregnancy, El? Do you know?" she asked with a sigh while steeling herself for whatever he might say. They had to be ready—or as ready as they could be.

Damn, all this would be much easier if they could involve Carlisle. He was a doctor, after all. She would have to weigh that against Bella's desires. They may not have a choice. Then again, there was always Edward. He was trained as a doctor as well. He just didn't practice as Carlisle did, so he didn't have the practical experience. She would need to discuss all this with Bella—try to get the girl to see reason.

"On average," he said, pulling Tanya from her thoughts, "the pregnancies went very quickly, with eight to nine weeks being the common length of gestation."

"Eight or nine weeks," Kate said with wide eyes. "Holy shit, and she's how far along already? Five?"

Tanya nodded. "That is what she told me, which means we only have three or four weeks to get things figured out and plans put in place." She looked at the group with a raised brow, her tone wry as she asked, "Are any of you prepared to perform this surgery thing El spoke of?"

If vampires could turn green, they all would have. She nearly laughed at their expressions. Big, bad vampires, indeed…

"How the hell are we supposed to manage her pain while slicing into her belly? I mean, it's not like we have access to a bunch of medical shit, or the knowledge to use it without killing her and maybe the baby in the process. Then there's all the blood that'll be involved. You cut her, she is going to bleed and for something like this, it's going to be a lot. Can any of us handle that?" Kate asked while sounding a bit frantic.

Tanya closed her eyes and massaged her temples. This was becoming damned complicated and calling Carlisle was looking more attractive (necessary?) by the second.

Eleazar echoed her thoughts, "One call to Carlisle would solve this entire dilemma or at least take it off our shoulders. He's a skilled physician and would know exactly what to do. Additionally, I'm quite sure he has all the drugs and instruments required or can obtain them easily. "Now, after considering all of that, are we really willing to risk the girl's life and that of the child over some hard feelings?" He sat back, looking rather smug when no one said anything. "I still say calling him is the best option. The girl is his bonded mate—she bears his mark and his scent and claims the child she carries is his. What, pray tell, is left to debate?"

"He abandoned her, El," Kate insisted with a glare. "That makes him asshole number one in my book."

His brows climbed as he rebutted, "Asshole or not, he's the best equipped to save the girl's life and that of the child. I would think that little detail would take priority over petty relationship squabbles. Which, by the way, they can resolve after the child is safely delivered and the girl is healthy and whole. If she dies, they will never even have the chance."

The sound of running steps in the upstairs bedroom caught their attention and they all winced when they heard the sound of vomiting the next second. "Ugh, why's she getting sick? Was it the crappy food you bought her, Tee?" Kate asked with a glance at the ceiling.

"Isn't that a common thing in pregnant women?" Irina asked, getting blank looks in return. She shrugged. "What? That's how it works on TV—they're always eating weird shit and throwing up."

Eleazar rubbed a hand over his face. "It can be, however, according to what I recall of hybrid pregnancies, the women all had trouble keeping human food down without the addition of blood to their diets."

When the others gave him looks of puzzlement, he continued. "The fetus is half-vampire, sí? As such, it requires blood. If it cannot get enough of the basic components of it through the mother's diet, it begins to obtain it directly from the mother's system. The first cases who didn't receive blood as a supplement declined rapidly, and were no more than skin-covered skeletons at the end of the pregnancy. They were so far gone, they wouldn't have survived the change had it been attempted."

"Okay, so she needs blood," Kate said. "Now that's something we can handle at least." She hopped up and headed for the kitchen for something to collect blood in. "Anyone coming with me?"

Irina and Carmen stood and headed for the front door. "We will."

* * *

-P.G.-

* * *

"I wonder…" Eleazar said with a creased brow after the other three had left the house to hunt.

"What?" Tanya prompted.

He shook his head. "It's just… I have to wonder if animal blood will suffice. The cases I read were all given human blood."

"Of course they were. They were with the ghouls," she snapped, then sighed. "Forgive me for being so short with you. We will try animal blood first. If she rejects it or it's ineffective, we can go," she waved a hand while thinking, "uh, rob a hospital or a blood bank or something. Shit. This is rapidly becoming a pain in the ass. Who knew life could get so complicated in the space of twelve hours?"

He scoffed and nodded. "Agreed."

She scowled. "I am going to kick Carlisle's delectable ass the next time I see him."

"I'll join you," he grumbled with a scowl.

Her brows shot up as she barked a laugh and his eyes went wide as he stuttered, "I—I don't— Oh fuck you, his ass does nothing for me so wipe that shit-eating grin off your face, Tee."

Her laughter slowed to a chuckle and she shook her head. "Oh, thank you, I needed that laugh."

He gave her a mock glare. "So happy to be of service."

She grinned. "You should have seen your face."

"Hmmph."

With a sigh, Tanya relaxed into the sofa, her expression turning serious when she locked eyes with El. He raised a brow in silent question and she gave a nod. "I am thinking of calling Edward," she said.

He tented his hands and tapped his chin, then nodded. "It's not ideal, but it could be an acceptable solution. He's had the training and his control is excellent. Not on par with Carlisle's but still excellent."

"Yes, but will he keep his mouth shut?" Tanya ventured.

Eleazar hummed, pursing his lips in thought. "Difficult to say. You know as well as I, he's very close to Carlisle and fiercely loyal, as he should be."

She nodded. "True, but we need help here so the risk of him talking is one we will have to take. We cannot do this alone. None of us are trained nor are we prepared to deal with all the blood involved. It would only end in disaster if we tried."

"Agreed." He tilted his head. "There's also the curiosity of Alice's silence that has me baffled."

"Yes, quite the mystery, isn't it? I would think the existence of a baby or the girl's journey here would be significant enough to prompt a vision or two."

They stared at each other for a moment, both deep in thought before Tanya huffed and pulled her phone from her pocket. "I am making the call."

Eleazar smiled. "A wise decision and a good compromise. I approve."

She rolled her eyes and put the phone to her ear as El chuckled.

Edward answered on the third ring sounding guarded yet curious. _'Could be because I always proposition him when I call.'_ she thought with a smirk.

"Tanya? This is a surprise. What can I do for you?"

"Three rings, Edward? Are we getting slow in our old age?" she teased.

"I'm hunting. Cut me some slack. And I'll refrain from reminding you about the age thing. I'm told it's not polite to tease a lady about such things."

She could hear the smirk in his tone and laughed. "You got me there, little boy. Well played. Now, on to why I called… Are you alone?"

"I am," he said, sounding guarded again.

"Good, this needs to stay between us, agreed?"

His tone shifted from guarded to suspicious. "That depends. If the safety of my family is involved…"

"I don't believe it poses a risk to your family," she hedged. "At least it is no more a risk than you have already encumbered through your own actions."

"Interesting," he drew out. "All right, I'm intrigued enough to agree, with the caveat that I will speak of it to the others should our safety demand it."

She sighed and shared a look with Eleazar who gave a nod. "Fair enough, Edward. As long as you hear me out completely before making a decision."

"Agreed," he said, and that was good enough for her.

His caution was understandable considering the threat of the Italian ghouls that constantly lingered on the periphery of every vampire's life. He was being careful and she could respect that. "I have a guest upstairs at the moment, Edward. A guest your family knows quite well, I am told."

"We have several acquaintances in common with your coven, Tee. It could be any one of them. Just tell me and quit speaking in riddles, if you please."

"Fine, her name is Bella."

She heard him take a sharp breath and smirked. "I take it you do know her?"

"As in Isabella Swan?" he questioned.

"Is that her given name? She has yet to tell me."

"If it's the same Bella, then yes, that's her given name," he confirmed.

"Well, she is young, just a skosh over five foot, brunette, human, and swollen with child."

"What?! No, then it can't possibly be the same girl. There's just no way."

"It is apparently _not_ impossible, beautiful boy. I assure you, my eyes and ears do not deceive me. She has the belly and I have heard the child's heartbeat."

"Then it's _not_ the same Bella! I just saw Isabella Swan last month on her eighteenth birthday and she was decidedly not pregnant.

"No," he repeated, "I'm sorry Tanya, but you must have someone there who for whatever reason, is impersonating Bella. But, for the life of me, I don't know how she—whoever she is—found out about us or how she came to be there with you, so this is a serious problem."

"Oh, the girl found us on her own from information that, according to her, she got from _you_. She came rattling up our driveway in a rusty old chevy truck with Washington plates—which reminds me, we still need to dispose of that damn thing…" she mumbled.

"Focus, Tanya. Has she shown you any ID? If so, is it genuine?"

"Good God, Eddie, am I the cops now? No, I have not seen her ID, but the girl is marked and reeks of Carlisle's scent. El has confirmed as much as well, so it is not only me. Is that proof enough for you?"

"It still begs the question," he practically growled, "how did she become so heavily pregnant that she has a belly when it's only been a month?! Something is very wrong here, Tanya. It can't be the girl I know!"

Tanya gave a weary sigh and looked at her coven member. With a grim smirk, Eleazar held his hand out for the phone.

"I'm handing you off to El," Tanya said gratefully. "He will explain."

"Alright."

"Edward," El greeted.

"Eleazar, I hope to God you can shed some light here because I'm at a complete loss."

"I can. You see, during my time with the Volturi, I found some secreted files concerning vampire/human hybrids."

"No," Edward snapped. "Our kind _cannot_ procreate. If they could, Rosalie would've had a dozen children by now."

"If you would indulge me for a moment?" Eleazar said with forced patience and Edward sighed.

"I apologize for snapping. It's just, this is very difficult to digest, or as Emmett would probably say, it's some twilight-zone level shit."

"I understand," El said with a chuckle, "however, there is much to cover and I'd like to be as succinct as possible."

"I'll try not to interrupt again. Please, proceed," Edward prompted.

"The only explanation I can give is that the bodies of female vampires are in suspended animation and cannot accommodate the physical changes of pregnancy. Males, on the other hand, don't have such an involved role, fluids only, yes? And so when they manage to copulate with a human female without killing her, she stands the chance of pregnancy, just as she would with any fertile human male. Now, how are the sperm alive? That knowledge is above my pay grade, I'm afraid.

"But at any rate, such things have been proven in the past and documented by the Volturi. According to their records, the first hybrid pregnancy was chanced upon. A vampire went to them for help with his human mate who was pregnant and gravely ill because of it. As I'm sure you can imagine, the brothers were intrigued. For that reason, subsequent cases were… shall we say, cultivated for study purposes. And before you ask, all hybrids were eventually destroyed when they were no longer of any use to the Volturi."

"Barbaric," Edward spat.

"Quite," Eleazar agreed.

"God in Heaven…" Edward muttered. "Bella's pregnant. With Carlisle's—his—well, whatever the hell it is."

"It would seem so, yes, since, as Tanya has told you, she's marked and scented. I've confirmed that myself."

"I guess I believe you, El, it's just… she's pregnant, and how the hell did she even find you?" He exhaled heavily. "It's just a lot to take in," he said, sounding poleaxed.

"Believe me, I know." He glanced at Tanya who was looking smugly amused. "I'm going to hand you off to Tee now for the rest of this discussion. Take care Edward, and I hope to see you soon."

Tanya took the phone. "Well, are you convinced now, detective?"

"My head is spinning. I'm…truly astonished."

She chuckled, a low, sultry sound. "Yes, we were all like that as well, but we have talked it out enough to have come to terms with it for the most part. Now we are on to the 'What the hell do we do?' part. El says the child is due in about three or four weeks—"

"Three or four weeks!" Edward yelled cutting her off. She jerked the phone away from her ear with a wince.

"Keep the yelling down, would you?"

"I'm sorry, it's just—"

"Shocking, yes, I know." She sighed. "Look, nothing about this is normal, so just… brace yourself or we will be on this phone all night. The girl needs surgery so the child does not tear its way out during the birth. That means lots of blood, Edward. And we cannot possibly handle that. So I am asking you, can you do it? Will you consider it?"

"I'm not the practicing physician, Tanya. You should be speaking with Carlisle, it's his child for God's sake. Throw in the fact that she's my singer and it becomes crystal clear that the only sane option is Carlisle."

"Yes, about that… You see, there is this _little issue_ of abandonment and the girl's feelings on the matter. She is hurt and more than a little pissed off about that, Ed."

He groaned. "That's mostly my fault, I'm afraid, and because of that she probably won't be any more receptive to me than she is Carlisle. But we're speaking of her safety and that of the child so I'll say again, Carlisle is the best, most logical choice, hurt feelings and misplaced pride notwithstanding."

"Yes, we discussed that. _You_, Edward, are the compromise in what would otherwise be a standoff. Now, are you willing to at least come and see her? Talk to her? And will you keep this quiet?"

She could practically hear his teeth grind before he finally answered. "Fine, I'll come and see her, especially since I had a hand in this mess. Then we'll go from there. I can't promise any more than that."

"And your discretion?" she prodded.

"Yes," he agreed. "As much as I hate this, I'll keep it quiet… for now."

"Thank you, Edward."

"I'll leave after I gather some supplies, and be there sometime tomorrow."

"We will be expecting you, and thank you."

"This is a Cullen issue, Tanya. I should really be thanking you."

With that, the call dropped and she shared a long look with Eleazar.

"Well," he said, "that's a weight off."

She barked a laugh and slumped back onto the couch.

"If he comes through, it certainly will be."

* * *

**Well, there's chapter 5! Hope you all liked it!**

**Coming up soon - we'll look in at the talk Carlisle finally has with Esme!  
**


	6. Chapter 6

Hi again! Thanks to CygnusRift, leward1992, Goldielover, Nosebone, SlytherinDayDream, kouga's older woman, Vivi H88, Hstevens, Guest, catgrl, Carlisle Bella Cullen, and booklover313, for the encouraging reviews. To LunaM303, I'm sorry if you're getting frustrated (the caps-lock makes it seem that way). My pace is what it is though, and I don't want to rush it. I hope you stick with me but if you don't, I'll understand and thanks for reading what you did! Also, thanks to those who followed and faved! Hope you all enjoy the chapter!

* * *

-Parting Gift-

* * *

After finding a parking spot a block away from their Boston home and keeping his speed at a human pace, Edward finally strode through the door of the four-story brownstone, narrowly skirting past a puzzled looking Emmett and Rose who had been about to leave. The latter scowled. "What's your problem now?"

He paused long enough to toss a "Wouldn't you like to know?" over his shoulder, then took the stairs three at a time to the third floor. When he got to the second door on the right, he rapped sharply on the richly oiled, antique oak. Jasper pulled the heavy door open a mere second later, looking quite curious, likely because of the emotional cocktail rolling off of Edward. "I need to speak to Alice."

Jasper's brows inched up but he stepped aside and cordially motioned him in. Edward walked to the little sitting area they had grouped by their airy bay window. Alice tilted her head as she looked at him.

"We need to talk," he said without preamble, "privately."

Alice stood and glanced at Jasper who held up a hand while settling back into his chair with his book. "I don't even wanna know," he mumbled while paging through to find where he'd left off.

Grinning, Alice leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Be back in a bit. Love you."

"Yep, love you too," he muttered while turning another page.

Edward wasted no time heading down the stairs and out of the house. Alice followed, almost having to jog to keep pace with his long, sidewalk-eating strides. Once they reached the relative privacy of the nearby, empty park, Alice turned to him immediately, her hands on her hips. "Okay, spill."

"While hunting earlier, I received a call from Tanya."

She cocked her head. "So? Calls from her aren't usually newsworthy, Edward."

"Bella's there."

Her eyes went wide and she went off like a machine gun. "Get outta town! Our Bella? How in the world did she find them? Are you sure it's her?"

He snorted. "Without going into the long version—and believe me, it's long—yes, they're sure it's our Bella."

She blinked, staring into the middle-distance as she nibbled her lip. "Huh, I haven't seen a thing. And now that I'm trying, all I get are flashes of the Denalis, and blurs. Nothing defined. I don't see Bella at all. Weird."

"Yes, very strange," he muttered, seeing what she was seeing in real time. "I wonder why that is."

She pursed her lips and shrugged a shoulder. "Not a clue, but you of all people should know my gift's not perfect. So, is that all you wanted to tell me?"

"I wish," he grumbled.

"Huh... okay." She hopped on a swing and gently pushed off with the toe of one shoe while giving him an impatient look.

He raised both hands. "All right, I'll get on with it."

"Please do."

"Just, no matter how crazy something sounds, let me finish before you say anything. Time is of the essence."

Her brows inched up and she sighed but nodded. "Fine."

"All right, where to begin…" he muttered, rubbing his brow while pacing. Then he turned to her and pointed. "Are you aware of what happened the night of Bella's birthday?"

"I was a little busy getting away from all that blood and reassuring my husband, Edward, so aside from the obvious, I'd have to say no, I guess not."

"After stitching and bandaging Bella's wound, Carlisle…" He rubbed the back of his neck, then locked eyes with her. "Well, there's just no easy way to say this. He took her virginity on top of his desk and then he marked her."

Alice's eyes were comically wide as she gripped the chains and leaned forward. "Ho-ly shit. Keep talking, 'cause I'm finding it damn tough to keep my mouth shut," she blurted.

He nodded and resumed pacing while raking long fingers through his messy hair. "I guess just after we moved, Bella discovered she was pregnant." Alice squealed and slapped a hand over her mouth as he continued. "She probably looked for us—just an assumption on my part—and when that proved fruitless, she headed to Denali. I don't know how, but she found them, Al.

"From what Tanya and Eleazar have told me, she's about halfway through the pregnancy, and they've confirmed Carlisle's mark and scent on her."

He stopped pacing and looked at her. She was gaping at him, eyes impossibly wide and one hand still clamped over her open mouth. She looked the most stunned he'd ever seen her.

Her hand fell away from her mouth. "Why didn't I see any of this?! Holy sheep shit, this is unbelievable, and _how_ is she _so_ pregnant?!" she blurted. "Edward, we have to go get her. She needs Carlisle."

She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples before growling. "Nothing's clear! I can't see a damn thing!"

He let loose a disappointed sigh. "I had hoped you'd be able to. Tanya's asked me there to help Bella and it would've been nice to know the outcome. It seems Bella's… a bit upset about being abandoned after… well, you know, and she doesn't want to see Carlisle."

"She's pissed at Carlisle?! But _you're_ the jerk who dumped her," she glared, "in the woods, no less."

He dismissed that with a flippant wave. "Technically, yes, but _I'm_ not the one who took her virginity, marked her, and left town two days later without saying a word."

Alice gave a reluctant nod . "Valid point I guess, but does she feel any differently about _you_? I shouldn't think so."

He had the grace to wince. "I'm not sure. I got the feeling Tanya didn't speak with Bella about asking me to help."

Alice's brows rose. "So Bella doesn't even know you're coming? Ha, ha!"

"No, I don't think so, unless they tell her between now and when I arrive. And there's nothing funny about this."

She smirked. "So you say, but whatever. When are you supposed to go?"

He glanced at his watch and grimaced. "Now. I told them I'd be there tomorrow. I'm going to have to catch a late flight as it is, and once I get there, I'm not sure what the driving conditions will be. It might be slow going and I don't want to arrive too late. I'd rather get the confrontation with Bella, if there is one, over with as soon as possible."

"I wanna go with you," she said, hopping out of the swing and crossing her arms as she stared up at him.

"You can't, Alice. I wasn't supposed to tell anyone, but I wanted to see if you'd had any visions."

Alice frowned. "Fine, but keep me posted."

He nodded and looked at his watch again. "I need to gather some supplies and be out of here before Carlisle or Esme get back from wherever they went."

Alice rubbed her forehead. "Poor Esme, I wonder how she's going to take this."

He shrugged. "She's not as attached as you might think," he said with a tap to his temple. "She loves him as a dear friend, but has always looked forward to meeting her match."

Alice looked shocked again. "Just how many deep dark family secrets are you keeping?"

"I try not to think of it. Just know, Jasper loves you more than life, just as you love him."

She scowled. "No fair reading my insecure thoughts, brother dearest."

He shrugged. "I couldn't let that one go because it's ridiculous." He kissed the top of her head. "Keep a watch, Al. I'll call when I can."

With that, he took off at a brisk walk toward the house as Alice muttered a quiet, "Good luck."

* * *

-Parting Gift-

* * *

Bella took the stairs carefully as she made her way to the kitchen. After getting sick the day before, she'd fallen asleep and hadn't woken until morning. Now, after a shower and a clean change of clothes, she felt human again, at least. Unfortunately, she knew that could change in a heartbeat.

For now though, her goal was some dry toast and tea. It was all she could seem to keep down these days, as evidenced by the previous night's reappearance of all that chicken lo mein she'd eaten.

As she slowly descended the stairs and neared the kitchen, she began to smell something that made her mouth water so she picked up her pace.

_'Gah! What is it?'_ Whatever it was, she wanted it. It smelled so delicious, and there were few things that smelled that way to her lately.

Finally rounding the corner into the kitchen, she stopped short at the sight of Tanya sitting at the bar counter with a metal, thermal mug in her hand. "Good morning, ptáček (little bird). Did you sleep well?"

"I did, thanks." She glanced around, not seeing any food which puzzled her. "What is that smell? I thought it was food."

Tanya raised a brow at that since all she could smell beside the scents of her family and Bella, was the blood in the cup she held. She'd warmed it for Bella, thinking to talk the girl into at least trying it, though it seemed she wouldn't have to try all that hard. She offered the covered thermal mug. "Perhaps it is this you smell?"

Bella stepped closer and took a sniff. "Mm, yeah, that's it, but what is it?"

Tanya smirked. Now came the hard part unless the girl had an open mind. "It is blood."

She watched as the girl jerked back with a grimace. "Blood. I usually pass out at the smell. Is it—is it human?"

Tanya's musical laugh filled the room. "No, Bella, I believe it is deer." Again, she offered the cup. "Would you care to try it? From what Eleazar says, you and the child need it."

Bella blanched at the thought.

Tanya's brows climbed. "The child is half-vampire, yes? We believe a lack of blood in your diet will cause a sharp decline in your health. It is also probably why you have trouble keeping your food down."

"Oh… of course," Bella said with a slow nod and a rub to her brow. She felt rather stupid for not thinking of that possibility herself. "Okay," she agreed, albeit reluctantly, "God help me but I'll—I'll at least try it. Just get ready for a freak show worthy of a Stephen King novel if I don't keep it down."

Tanya tisked and placed the cup in front of Bella who reluctantly picked it up. Despite knowing what was in it, it still smelled just as appetizing. She only hoped it tasted good as well. With a bracing breath, she lifted it and muttered, "Here goes nothing."

Tanya watched as Bella took a sip, then another and another until she'd drained the whole cup. "Well?"

Bella shrugged. "I think I can do it as long as I don't overthink it—kinda like eating hotdogs—the minute you start thinking about what's in those bitches… gah." She shuddered.

Tanya blinked and wrinkled her nose. "I will take your word for it."

Bella got up, loaded the cup in the dishwasher and began making a real breakfast with the eggs, butter and bread she found in the fridge. "How long have you guys lived here?"

Tanya flipped a page of the magazine she was browsing. "About six years now."

Bella glanced around the space, taking in the expansive, granite counters and sleek, top of the line appliances. "Why do you have a kitchen? It's not like you guys interact with humans like the Cullens do. Or… do you?" she questioned while buttering toast.

Tanya chuckled wryly and Kate strolled in, smirking as she sat by her sister and answered Bella's question, "My sisters and I probably associate more closely with humans than the Cullens do. Or at least we thought so until _you_ arrived, marked and knocked up with Carlisle's love child."

Bella plated her eggs and blinked at the smirking vampires. "So, you guys…um, have sex with human men?"

Kate hummed and nodded. "And some women too. Depends on the mood, really."

"Huh…" Bella leaned on the counter and began eating her scrambled eggs and toast. After a few bites, she took a sip of water. "Edward always said it was too dangerous."

"Oh, it is," Tanya said, closing her magazine to focus on the human girl. "Sadly, it took each of us quite a few tries to get it right."

Kate hummed her agreement and muttered, "Shame, I really liked a few of those first ones."

"Carlisle didn't, uh, have a problem," Bella said with a hot blush.

"He is a doctor, Bella, with decades of practice handling fragile humans in all sorts of situations. Of course, he would not have a problem now, but I'm sure he did at first."

Bella shrugged, then nodded. "I guess I see your point."

She took another bite and glanced up to see Tanya watching her closely. "What?" she mumbled before swallowing.

Tanya sighed. "Look, I know you are not going to like this, so I am just going to say it, yes? I called Edward." Bella sucked in a breath that Tanya ignored. "He will arrive some time today to see you and hopefully begin managing your pregnancy and the child's eventual birth."

Bella paled, then began to flush as anger set in. "Why? Why would you do that? I thought I could trust you!"

Tanya leaned forward and snapped, "Do you want to live through this? Do you want to know your child and see him or her grow up?"

Bella glared. "Of course I do. Why do you think I came here?"

"You came here for help."

"Exactly!"

"And that's what we are doing! But Bella, not one of us is trained for _anything_ like this. And while our control around humans is excellent, none of us can stand to be around the amount of blood that you will shed during the birth." She quirked a brow then looked up at the ceiling while waving a hand about. "Do you think trained vampire physicians are so numerous that they are raining from the sky?" She looked back at Bella. "No. They are not. Your options are limited, child. If we cannot call Carlisle, then it must be Edward in his stead."

Bella blinked and set her fork on the plate. "You really think Edward can handle the blood? I'm—I'm his singer."

Kate snorted a laugh. "Oh my God, this just gets better and better. Kind of like those cheesy daytime dramas Carmen watches on the satellite. What does she call them? Telenovelas?"

Tanya gave her sister a quelling look before addressing Bella's question. "In all honesty, Carlisle is and should be, our first choice based on his vast experience and impeccable control. But you're not exactly allowing us that option." Her brow climbed higher. "Unless of course, you are ready to see reason?"

Bella looked away, her jaw set and nostrils flared as she struggled with her pain and pride. "Edward's trained. And he'd gotten used to resisting my blood... I think he can handle it." She looked back at Tanya. "Still, isn't there someone else? _Anyone_ else?"

Bella felt the weight of Tanya's years as the coven leader's gaze bore into hers. "Hear me, child. If you reject Edward's help, or if he determines he is unable to do this, then my next call is to Carlisle. I will not see you or the child die over something as ridiculous as an emotional grudge."

Bella's first inclination was to argue; it was her life and should be her call. But then she thought about the innocent life inside her and the fight went out of her as she nodded. "You're right, I'm being kinda stupid, but I'm just so hurt… and mad."

Tanya's eyes lit with triumph and she tried to cut in, but Bella raised a hand. "But that doesn't mean you can call Carlisle—just yet. Let's see what Edward has to say first, okay? Having him here is gonna be bad enough."

Tanya nearly growled in frustration but gave a sharp nod instead. "I had no idea humans could be so stubborn. Fine, we will see what Edward has to say."

Bella nearly sagged in relief. "Thank you."

"But…" Tanya held up a finger, "if he says we need Carlisle, then I am making that call, or Edward can. Either way, it will be done."

Bella eyed her for a moment. "Fine… Like I could stop you guys, anyway."

Tanya smirked. "This is true."

* * *

-Parting Gift-

* * *

Ice clinking against glass was the only noise heard as the waitress served the stunning couple; the man a blond while the woman's cascading curls were a unique shade of sable. They were seated at a table in a private corner at the very back of the pub and seemed to value their privacy, so she obliged as soon as she could without seeming rude.

When the waitress left to serve other customers closer to the bar, the woman stirred her scotch, took a sip, then pinned her companion with a curious gaze. "Alright Doc, are you _finally_ ready to tell me what's been up with you these past few weeks?"

Carlisle took in her quirked eyebrow and knowing smirk before giving her a sad smile. "So you've noticed."

She took another sip of her scotch and set it down while giving him a _'Gee, you think?'_ look. "We've been together for how long now? Yes, darling, I've noticed. You don't usually mope so it wasn't all that difficult.

"Now," she said while crossing her shapely legs, "I'm going to sit back and sip this excellent scotch while I listen to you spill, as Alice would say." She gestured toward him. "You have the floor, Doc."

He took a drink and set the tumbler down, then met her eyes. "First, I want you to know, you mean the world to me. The years we've spent as companions have been the happiest of my life."

Her brow creased as a frown pulled at the corners of her mouth. "They've been wonderful for me as well, but that sounded like one hell of a setup for something unsavory."

He slowly nodded. "I just want you to know that I didn't do what I did out of disrespect or a lack of regard for you. What happened truly was in the heat of the moment." He looked away and pursed his lips. "No, that's not quite right because…" As he trailed off, a muscle ticked in his jaw and she cocked her head.

"Because?" she prompted, concerned because she'd never seen him so hesitant to speak.

He stared at his glass while running his index finger through the beads of condensation on the side. "Because I marked her, Esme." He met her eyes. "God forgive me but I couldn't seem to stop myself."

Esme's mouth dropped open as she stared. "Who? When? Oh my word, this is wonderful for you! You've found the one!"

His answering smile was more than a little melancholy and it gave her pause.

"Hang on. Why in the world do you look sad right now? Who is she, Carlisle? And why have you been under such a dark cloud lately? It doesn't make sense. You should be ecstatic." Her eyes filled with understanding. "Unless you're worried about my reaction. That's it, isn't it? Well, honey, you shouldn't be, we knew this day would come for—"

He raised a hand and murmured, "Please, let me fully explain?"

She exhaled and gave him a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I said I was going to sit back and let you talk, didn't I?"

His brow scrunched and he kept his eyes fixed on his glass as he slowly turned it on the cocktail napkin. "Do you remember the night of Bella's birthday?"

Her eyes narrowed as she drew out her answer, "Of course."

He nodded. "Of course, silly question. Well, by the time you all came home that night, I had showered and changed clothes."

"I remember. Carlisle, how is this relevant?"

He met her eyes. "I'd showered and changed to get the scent off."

"Of course you had. Everyone was so upset and the blood on your clothes would have—"

"It wasn't the scent of blood I was concerned with, Esme, not really."

She frowned. "Then… what… _Oh…_ Oh, Carlisle," she whispered. "My goodness, poor Edward…" She scowled and her eyes snapped to Carlisle's. "Does he know?"

His smile was sardonic. "Me finding my 'one' doesn't seem to be such a blessing now, does it?"

Her mouth opened but her protests seem to stick in her throat, "I—I don't—"

He shook his head and took a pull from his glass then set it down and murmured, "No, you really don't need to answer that. I know it isn't. There's nothing right about it.

"She was with Edward, though he's told me he was looking for a way to end things. She's incredibly young as well, but the most egregious of all the marks against me? She's a healthy human and I shouldn't have looked twice at her, much less do what I did."

She tore tiny pieces off her cocktail napkin while nibbling the corner of her lip. "You've yet to say exactly _what_ it was that you did."

He sighed and gave her a shamed glance. "After stitching her arm, I took her virginity on the top of my desk, then I marked her. I… couldn't stop myself." He shook his head in frustration. "No, that's complete bullshit. I didn't _want_ to stop myself." He met Esme's narrowed eyes.

"And Bella? What were _her_ wishes in this whole thing? Because I cannot fathom _you_ ever forcing yourself on anyone. But Carlisle, I swear, if you did…"

He took a sip of scotch then scoffed and glared. "Good God, Esme, really? No, I damn well didn't force her. She said she wanted me, begged me." His jaw clenched and his hand that rested beside his glass clenched into a fist as he continued, "But _none_ of that should have mattered. She's so very young and I should've had the control to turn away, to say no."

"Hmmm, not if she's your match, you wouldn't. Your potential match who'd just been under threat from another male and was injured as well." She leaned forward and laid her hand over his as she quietly reassured him. "Carlisle, any male's instinct to mate and mark would have been overwhelming in that scenario, so stop beating yourself up about it." She smiled and squeezed his hand. "You claimed your match, and that is cause for celebration, Doc, even though you screwed it up afterward."

He shook his head and chuckled. "You never cease to amaze me. And in other circumstances, I would agree with you, but I can't. She's healthy and has her whole life ahead of her and I can't take that away from her, Es, I just can't."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh yes, because this life we lead is such nothing but drudgery. Woe, woe, woe is me, I can't stand eternal beauty, mind-blowing sex, and unlimited stamina. I think I need another trip to Paris or Milan in order to face another tomorrow." She gave him that wry, knowing look again. "Let me guess. You spoke to Edward about this, didn't you?"

He exhaled and nodded. "I did."

Her lips thinned. "Mm-hm, I thought so." She took his hand again and looked him in the eye. "You know I love you." He nodded. "And I love Edward as well, but God help me… the two of you together discussing theological or philosophical topics would be enough to suck the happy out of a bus full of circus clowns." She patted his hand and sat back. "Seriously, Doc, Edward can be such a downer. And you let him get under your skin because of the guilt he heaps on you for turning him. And that causes you to buy into his views on this supposedly cursed existence we lead. I'm sorry, darling, but advice like that does not promote happiness. And he'll realize it someday when he finally gets laid."

He arched a brow and she saw the barest hint of a smirk on his lips. "I'd suck the happy out of clowns?"

"When you're all hopped up on a pep-talk from Edward, yes, you would."

He gave her a smirking, sidelong glance. "So, what do _you_ think I should do?"

"Well, first thing's first, get your head out of your ass and go get your girl." Her brow creased. "Wow, feels so weird referring to Bella that way…" she muttered.

He snorted and took a sip of scotch. "Alright, then what? Because I'm thinking the chances are good that she doesn't like me much at the moment."

She huffed. "We picked up and left without a word, so she's likely pissed at all of us. But you most of all, I would think considering… Well, I know I sure as hell would be," she said with a rueful glare.

"So, I should probably grovel."

She scoffed a rueful laugh. "No probably to it, Doc, and you'd better get creative. I have a feeling anything cliché isn't going to cut it with Bella."

He ducked his head and smiled, then looked up at her. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind, Es. I owe you."

She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Don't think you're back on my good list yet, Doc. I'm still angry that you felt you couldn't be upfront with me about this. We've been companions for how long?"

He rubbed his brow and nodded. "You're my best friend, Es. But after I took Bella home that night and got to thinking about it, I was just so appalled by my actions…"

"And you _should_ be in some respects. I mean, you took her virginity on top of your desk in what was probably a quickie?" She tisked. "Yeah, Doc, you have some serious groveling to do." She stood and shrugged her purse onto her shoulder and cupped his cheek when he stood with her. "You should get to it."

"Now?"

She patted his cheek. "No time like the present, considering every second that ticks by just makes that hole you're in that much deeper."

"Let me drive you home first?" he asked as he laid money on the table.

She shrugged as they made their way through the pub to the exit. "You've wasted enough time and besides, this is Boston, darling. I'll just hail a cab."

Once outside she turned to him, laid her hands on his chest, and leaned up on her toes to kiss his cheek. "Get going, Doc," she said while smiling into his eyes. "You've got a flight to catch and a broken-hearted girl to win over."

He nodded then moved to unlock the door of his car and watched as she began walking toward the main street to hail a cab. With his emotions in chaos, he opened his car door, but then looked back and called out, "Esme!"

Now a quarter block away, she stopped and turned. "Yes?"

His heart ached at the naked sadness he saw in her eyes even as she smiled brightly.

"Thank you, sweetheart," he murmured.

Her smile trembled as she tilted her head. "Anything for you, Doc." Then she turned and disappeared into the early evening crowds.

**Thanks for reading!**


End file.
